Jeff Vaughn, a former KCAL/KCBS anchor in Los Angeles, alleges he was terminated due to his race and gender, filing a $5 million lawsuit against CBS Broadcasting in July 2024. The suit, brought with the assistance of America First Legal, claims the network prioritized diversity metrics over his continued employment.
Vaughn’s complaint centers on a perceived shift in CBS’s hiring and programming priorities, coinciding with a stated commitment to increasing representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in its television writers’ rooms. According to the lawsuit, CBS aimed for 40% BIPOC representation by 2021-22 and 50% by 2022-23. Vaughn asserts he was fired because he is an “older, white, heterosexual, male.”
The lawsuit follows a pattern of similar cases America First Legal is pursuing, challenging diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as discriminatory. The firm also represents Brian Beneker, a former script coordinator on “SEAL Team,” who alleges CBS failed to hire him for a writing position due to his race and gender. In Beneker’s case, CBS has invoked the First Amendment in defense of its hiring practices.
Vaughn, a 30-year veteran of network news, recounted an incident in 2022 that he described as a “gut punch.” He noticed a billboard advertising his news program did not include his image, but featured all of his co-anchors, none of whom, he says, were straight white men. He interpreted this as a signal that CBS was prioritizing employees who “check the box” in terms of diversity. His replacement, who is Black, received a billboard featuring his image following Vaughn’s departure in September 2023.
Since filing the lawsuit, Vaughn reports difficulty securing another network position. He is currently creating content for outlets including Fox News, iHeartRadio, and Salem News Channel through his own company, earning significantly less than his previous salary. “I knew that filing a lawsuit against CBS would indicate that I would never work in mainstream media again,” Vaughn stated in an interview.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) urged White men to come forward with complaints about discrimination in December 2025, potentially foreshadowing an increase in similar legal challenges. CBS has not publicly commented on the specifics of Vaughn’s case, but maintains its right to engage in diverse hiring practices. A trial in the case is scheduled for September 2026.
