John H. Lowe III claims three of the show’s executive producers made inappropriate comments prior to his “retaliatory termination.”

Former Matlock writer sues CBS, alleging racism, sexual harassment, and hostile work environment

John H. Lowe III claims three of the show's executive producers made inappropriate comments prior to his "retaliatory termination."

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

EW's editorial guidelines

June 17, 2026 4:11 p.m. ET

Kathy Bates, Jason Ritter, and Skye P. Marshall on 'Matlock'. Credit:

Michael Yarish/CBS

- Former *Matlock *writer John H. Lowe III is suing CBS and show producers for creating a hostile work environment.

- He accuses the showrunner and two executive producers of racism, sexual harassment, and "retaliatory termination."

- CBS says an internal investigation found no support for the allegations.

Three *Matlock* producers are being accused of inappropriate behavior in a new lawsuit filed by a former writer on the legal show.

John H. Lowe III, who previously worked on *Virgin River* and *Project Runway*, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against CBS, *Matlock* showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, and executive producers Jeffrey Lieber and Nicki Renna of fostering a hostile work environment. The complaint, which has been reviewed by **, alleges that the trio of executive producers made racist and sexually explicit comments in the workplace, and that he ultimately suffered "a retaliatory termination."

Lowe accused all the defendants of creating a hostile work environment based on race and sex, and accused CBS of failure to remedy harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation.

John H. Lowe III.

Courtesy of John H. Lowe III

A spokesperson for CBS responded to the filing in a statement to EW. "We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for everyone and take all workplace complaints seriously," the spokesperson said. "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."

EW has reached out to representatives for Urman, Lieber, and Renna for comment

"There is no excuse for this blatant racism and harassment. CBS should be ashamed for allowing it, and the *Matlock* showrunner and producers should be held accountable," Lowe's attorney, Ron Zambrano, said in a statement. "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."

*This is a developing story and will be .*

- Celebrities & Creators

- Celebrity Lawsuits & Legal Troubles

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Celebrity”