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"Apprentice" Discrimination Suit Settled
Donald Trump may be happy saying "You're fired," but he's likely happier to hear "It's settled" from his attorneys.
The overlord of The Apprentice and coproducer Mark Burnett have agreed to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit brought by a quadriplegic attorney.
James Schottel Jr. filed suit last month in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, accusing The Apprentice brain trust of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against him and other disabled individuals who want to try out for the show.
A 32-year-old aspiring Apprentice candidate, Schottel claimed the show's application is discriminatory because it cautions all candidates to "be in excellent physical and mental health" and "meet all physical and psychological requirements." Such restrictions, he said, effectively rule out disabled people from applying for the program, which NBC and producers hype as "the ultimate job interview." The winner is awarded a high-paying job within Trump's corporate domain.
The deal, which was sealed earlier this week, involved no payout by Mark Burnett Productions or Trump Productions LLC and no admission of any wrongdoing on their part. Instead, the online application for potential Apprentice contestants has been changed to encourage the disabled to apply.
"All applicants who believe they meet our criteria, including persons with disabilities, are welcome and encouraged to apply to be a participant," the new wording says.
"I think that's satisfactory," Schottel told the Associated Press. "I'm still a fan of the show, and I was pleased that the online application is going to be modified and that they have shown they have a commitment to consider people with disabilities."
The legal eagle, who tried out for the show at a St. Louis audition last month, added that his goal in bringing the complaint was never motivated by greed.
"Even if I don't get in, maybe somebody else [who is disabled] will," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Burnett also indicated he was pleased the suit had been settled. "It was never our intent to exclude from consideration persons with disabilities," he said in a statement Wednesday. "We continue to urge all potential participants, including those with disabilities, who are interested to apply for the show."
This wasn't the first time a lawsuit has been brought against a television show for alleged discrimination against the disabled.
In 2000, a lawsuit was filed against Who Wants to be a Millionaire by a man who claimed the ABC show violated the ADA by requiring potential contestants to take a touchtone phone quiz--one which doesn't accommodate the hearing impaired. That case, too, was eventually settled out of court.
Meanwhile, despite tweaks to the format, ratings are down this year for this season, with an average of 15.1 million viewers tuning in, as opposed to 20.7 million for season one and 15.9 million for season two.
To help amp up interest in the "book smarts" vs. "street smarts" competition, producers are bringing in some top music talent on Thursday's episode, with contestants teaming up with Lil' Kim, Eve, Fat Joe, Barenaked Ladies, Moby, Gene Simmons, Lil John, Simple Plan, New Found Glory and Jadakiss for a charity auction.
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