'Abbott Elementary' Promotes Fan-Favorite Cast Member for Season 2

Abbott Elementary fans will be seeing a lot more of Mr. Johnson. Deadline reports that William Stanford Davis, who has a recurring role in the first season, has been moved up to a series regular for Season 2. He will continue as Abbott's custodian. It's a big deal for Williams, making it his first series regular role in his 27-year acting career. Returning series regulars for the forthcoming season are Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. The show is currently in production. William's recent TV credits include recurring roles on such series as Swagger, Snowpiercer, and Ray Donovan, on which he played Potato Pie. His film credits include Dead Woman Walking, Adopt A Highway, Holly Day, and A Holiday Chance. 

His promotion comes amid a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against Brunson and ABC. Christine Davis claims the show is a direct copy of a script she wrote in 2018 entitled Our School Year. Her script is about an underfunded public school that invites a documentary crew to film, with an optimistic teacher (Brunson's character in Abbott) trying to push for reform. Davis says she showed her script (which she filed a copyright for in early 2020) to producers Cherisse Parks and Shavon Sullivan Wright – neither of which has any connection to Abbott Elementary. She claims the producers told her they'd show the script to Hulu, which, like ABC, is primarily owned by Disney. A few months after the meeting, Davis claims ABC began filming on Abbott, with Brunson listed as both star and series creator.

In the suit, she also notes how the show's mockumentary style and several of its characters are similar to her script. At this time, Brunson nor ABC have commented on Davis' suit. Davis demands that "Brunson and ABC turn over all profits they made from the show."