Matlock writer sues over racist and sexist comments including Juneteenth remark: ‘CBS should be ashamed’

John Lowe, a former writer on the legal drama Matlock, is suing CBS and accusing the series executives of creating a hostile work environment with allegedly racist and sexist remarks.Lowe, who worked on the show from October 2023 to July 2025, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in California against CBS Television Studios, showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman and executive producers Nicki Renna and Jeffrey Lieber.He alleged that Urman, Renna and Lieber subjected him and other Black cast and crew members to racially stereotyped comments, sexualized remarks, invasive questioning and other unprofessional behaviors throughout his time on the show.

Lowe also alleged that he was terminated from his job as a form of retaliation because it came two weeks after he reported an alleged incident in which Snyder referred to Juneteenth as “C**nteenth.”A CBS Studios spokesperson said in response to the allegations: “We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for everyone and take all workplace complaints seriously. In this instance, a thorough investigation was completed, and we were unable to find support for his allegations.

We look forward to vigorously defending this lawsuit.”open image in galleryThe showrunner and executive producers on 'Matlock' are being sued for allegedly racist and sexist comments (PA)open image in galleryJohn Lowe is suing CBS Television Studios and accusing his former colleagues on 'Matlock' of making racist and sexist comments toward him (John H. Lowe)In the lawsuit, Lowe describes several alleged instances where managers and producers made repeated sexual comments “about his body and genitalia” and racially charged remarks that made onlookers uncomfortable.

In one allegation, Lowe said Snyder and Lieber humiliated him in front of his colleagues by commenting on the tightness of his clothes and making an inappropriate comment about the size of his genitalia. In another, Lowe claimed that Renna called him late at night and told him she “was in bed wearing only her underwear.”He alleged that two weeks after he complained about Snyder’s alleged remark about Juneteenth, he lost his job without written cause or any performance-based justification — despite previously being praised as “a model writer, employee and welcomed addition to the room.”

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This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.“There is no excuse for this blatant racism and harassment,” Lowe’s attorney, Ron Zambrano, said in a statement. “CBS should be ashamed for allowing it, and the Matlock showrunner and producers should be held accountable.”

Zambrano continued: “Mr. Lowe was subjected to degrading and unlawful conduct. He deserved to be treated with dignity and respect, as everyone should expect in the workplace, not subjected to these outrageous and illegal racial slurs and sexual harassment without any connection to his work on the show.”

open image in gallery'Matlock' showrunner and creator Jennie Snyder Urman is accused of making a racist comment about Juneteenth (Getty)Matlock, which stars Kathy Bates in what she says is her last role ever, is expected to return for its third season on CBS early next year.Lowe’s lawsuit comes three months after actor Matlock David Del Rio filed an arbitration claim against CBS Studios contesting his firing last fall. Del Rio, who was formerly a series regular, was taken off the show after his co-star accused him of sexual assault.

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