ACLU wants Hollywood gender bias inquiry

Kelly Lawler | USA TODAY

The ACLU in shining a light on women in Hollywood, or the lack thereof.

The organization said Tuesday that it is asking federal and California civil rights agencies to investigate the "systemic failure" to hire female directors in the film and television industry. If the agencies agree to investigate and then find bias, they could take actions that might include filing legal charges.

"Women directors aren't working on an even playing field and aren't getting a fair opportunity to succeed," Melissa Goodman of the ACLU of Southern California told The New York Times. "Gender discrimination is illegal. And really, Hollywood doesn't get this free pass when it comes to civil rights and gender discrimination."

The ACLU submitted letters to the various agencies with statistical evidence of what it says are "dramatic disparities" in the hiring of women, along with anecdotal accounts from 50 female directors. The evidence includes a University of Southern California study that found of the 100 top-grossing films in 2013 and 2014, only 1.9% were directed by a woman, and a Directors Guild of America study found that only 14% of 220 TV shows (3,300 TV episodes) had women directors.

According to the Times report, the letters include stories from women directors who were reportedly told by executives that a show was not "woman friendly," learned that producers had asked that agents "not send women" for jobs or had been informed about a TV job that the show had "already hired a woman this season."

"Sometimes showrunners will say, 'This isn't a good show for a woman director, or our actors are hard on women,'" a female director, who wished to remain anonymous fearing career repercussions, wrote. "Or they're approaching it as if 'We're protecting you by not giving you this job.' That way they turn it on its side, to make everything OK."

"Women directors simply aren't getting a fair opportunity to succeed," Ariela Migdal of the ACLU Women's Rights Project said. "Blatant and extreme gender inequality in this large and important industry is shameful and unacceptable," Goodman said.

Contributing: The Associated Press