A former Criminal Minds staffer filed a lawsuit against the show’s longtime director of photography, Greg St. Johns, accusing him of almost non-stop sexual harassment. The employee claims St. Johns touched his genitals and rubbed his earlobes. Defendants also listed on the lawsuit include CBS Corporation, ABC Studios, Entertainment Partners Enterprises LLC and Warner Bros. Entertainment, which are involved in producing the CBS crime drama.
Todd Durboraw claims in the lawsuit he was a second assistant camera person on the show, and accused St. Johns of touching his body sexually, including his buttocks, groin, anus and sexual organ, reports The Wrap. He claimed St. Johns also touched his earlobes and acted inappropriately with other employees. St. Johns also retaliated when people objected to his behavior, the lawsuit claims.
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Durboraw believes St. Johns was fired, according to the lawsuit.
The employee accused St. Johns of assault, battery, sexual batter and causing emotional distress in the lawsuit. The other defendants are also accused of harassment, failing to investigate and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
This is not the first time St. Johns has faced public accusations of his behavior. Back in October 2018, Variety reported that an ABC Studios human resources investigation was launched that year, and California began an investigation after a former crew member accused St. Johns of sexual harassment and retaliating. Nineteen former or current Criminal Minds staffers told Variety that St. Johns created a “toxic environment” on the set, groped male staffers and fired those who complained.
Many of the crew members reported St. Johns’ behavior to senior producers and management, but they saw no signs of any action taken, Variety reported.
In January 2018, about 100 crew members got an anonymous email that Variety obtained, in which they were told the producers were contacted by other staffers about St. Johns’ alleged behavior. They called on producers to interview everyone involved with the show anonymously to avoid St. Johns retaliating. A month later, ABC Studios started its investigation.
Some crew members told Variety they think St. Johns stayed on the show because producers came to rely on him and his knowledge of the show.
“I think the people that empower and enable him are culpable,” one former crew member said. “They keep cleaning up his mess.”
St. Johns joined the series in 2006 and was promoted to director of photography in 2007. He shot over 270 episodes, with the last being “Twenty Seven,” which aired in November 2018.
ABC Studios and CBS have not commented on Durboraw’s lawsuit.
The 15th and final season of Criminal Minds was held back until midseason, meaning it will not debut on CBS until early next year.
Photo credit: CBS
