Wynn

ORDER GRANTING IN PART DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS AND GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO SEVER

I. INTRODUCTION

This action is brought under the Age Discrimination Employment Act (“ADEA”), California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), and New York State’s Human Rights Law (“NYHRL”), as well as the Labor Management Relations Act (“LMRA”) and common law claims. Plaintiffs, 51 individual television writers, allege that they have been the victims of an industry-wide “pattern or practice” of age discrimination, perpetrated by Defendants, 50 separate entities in the television industry, ranging from broadcasting companies to talent agencies. Pursuant to this Court’s request that the parties attempt to consolidate their briefings, the 40 network and studio defendants (“Employer Defendants”) and the 11 talent agency defendants (“Agency Defendants”) have each filed consolidated motions to dismiss, and, in the alternative, to sever both Plaintiffs and Defendants as improperly joined, under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), 20, and 21. Defendant Studios USA has joined Employer Defendants and Agency Defendants in their motions to dismiss and sever, but has brought a separate motion to dismiss…