A former production assistant on the upcoming crime drama series Criminal has filed a lawsuit against Amazon MGM Studios and production company Big Indie Pictures, accusing them of ignoring a hostile work environment created by showrunner Ed Brubaker.
The plaintiff, Ijaaz Noohu, filed the complaint Wednesday in California state court, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The suit brings claims for sexual and racial harassment, religious discrimination, assault, and battery, among others, and seeks unspecified damages.
Noohu was hired in February 2023 to work on Criminal, which is based on Brubaker's interlocking series of crime comics. Big Indie Pictures, whose credits include A Complete Unknown, Manchester by the Sea, and Fallout, brought him on. The lawsuit alleges that shortly after he was hired, Brubaker began subjecting him to what it describes as repeated and pervasive sexual harassment, including comments about running his hands through Noohu's hair, jokes about rape, and rubbing Noohu's back.
Separately, the complaint alleges that Brubaker directed racially demeaning comments at Noohu, a Sri Lankan American filmmaker. These included stereotypes about curry, references to the Tiger Mom trope, mentions of the show Never Have I Ever, and comments about Noohu's presumed ability in math. The suit also says Noohu was frequently asked whether he supports Hamas.
The alleged incident at the center of the complaint is more severe. Noohu claims that Brubaker fired a functional firearm aimed at his face, an act the lawsuit says was witnessed by a senior producer who took no action. Noohu's attorney, Fahim Rahman, addressed the incident directly in the complaint. "That a supervisor with authority over the entire production would commit such an act — and that it would go unchecked — illustrates the culture of impunity that pervaded the criminal production," Rahman wrote.
After Noohu sought a promotion, the lawsuit alleges his exit date was moved up and he was later barred from the set in what the complaint describes as retaliation. His employment ended in September 2024. He was not credited on the production.
The suit also faults executive producer Phillip Barnett, accusing him of directing others not to document complaints and saying, on multiple occasions, "Don't say that in front of me," and "La la, I'm not hearing that." The complaint argues that Amazon MGM and Big Indie failed to investigate alleged harassment and discrimination that occurred in plain view and was witnessed by multiple people, including senior producers.
Amazon MGM, which gave Criminal a formal series order in 2024, declined to comment. Big Indie did not respond to a request for comment. Criminal is the first project on which Brubaker, whose TV credits include Westworld, Too Old to Die Young, and Batman: Caped Crusader, has served as showrunner.