Former ‘Doctor Odyssey’ Crewmembers Sue Disney Over Sexual Harassment On Set

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Previous team members from the ‘Doctor Odyssey’ production have filed a lawsuit against 20th Television and its parent company, Disney, alleging instances of sexual harassment and retribution that occurred during the filming of the medical series.

Caroline Mack, Alicia Haverland, and Ava Steinbrenner have filed a lawsuit against their employer in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that they faced an ongoing campaign of sexual harassment. They claim their supervisor made constant sexually explicit comments and inappropriately touched them. They assert that after reporting these incidents to management, they were subsequently terminated.

As a devoted fan, I’d like to share an intriguing piece of behind-the-scenes news. Previously, a Universal Network Television employee named Carl Jones had alleged against Tyler Patton, who was then an assistant prop master. Notably, his immediate supervisor at the time was Tammie Patton, his wife. In this prior lawsuit, Jones accused Patton of inappropriate behavior, including sexual harassment and retaliation on the set of House. Specifically, he claimed that Patton had made unwanted advances towards him, such as groping his genitals, and invited multiple women from various production departments to engage in sexual activity.

The lawsuit outlines an environment on the set of ‘Doctor Odyssey’, where Tyler Patton, who’s not listed as a defendant in the complaint, and his male coworkers often made comments about their sexual preferences, intending to make women around them feel uneasy with their remarks.

In one instance, I was reportedly known to call a former crew member “Mumbles” and told her to essentially ‘swallow before speaking.’ Another incident involved me questioning aloud to my colleagues why ‘none of you had broken her’ yet, according to the lawsuit. I often responded to seemingly innocent statements with a joke that originated from The Office, saying “that’s what she said.” This was stated in the complaint.

The accusation alleges that Tyler Patton frequently sent explicit texts, inappropriately touched female coworkers by grabbing their backsides, put his arms around their necks for extended periods, and offered prolonged, intimate hugs.

The legal claim states that Tyler Patton is said to have sent a text message to the props department, including his wife Tammie Patton who was the prop master, containing a link seemingly related to a fresh story about former President Joe Biden withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race. When they opened it, the team members claim that it led them to a webpage displaying an image of a nude man with an erect penis. Later, Tyler Patton is accused of leaving the area and making the comment, “If I weren’t sleeping with the boss, I’d be fired.

Later on, Mack conveyed the occurrence to both the Human Resources department and her union, who verified that 20th Century Fox and Disney had been informed about the alleged misbehavior, according to the lawsuit. This encompassed accusations of improper handling of prop firearms during production.

According to the lawsuit, it states that Tyler Patton was let go not long after a complaint was made. This action allegedly followed by Tammie Patton retaliating against the plaintiffs by giving them degrading tasks and threatening their job security. The suit also mentions that following this, the entire props department, excluding Tyler’s replacement, was subsequently downsized due to ongoing complaints.

20th “Shortly after that, they quickly brought on a fresh team of employees to work on the Dr. Odyssey Season 1 project instead of the Plaintiffs and other Props Department staff, as stated in the lawsuit,” the complaint reads. “Clearly, there was no ‘layoff.’ Instead, the Defendants chose to start anew with the Prop Department’s team to bypass any lingering employee issues related to Tyler Patton’s and Tammie Patton’s misconduct.”

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20th “Immediately following this, they swiftly employed a new group of employees to work on Dr. Odyssey Season 1, replacing the Plaintiffs and other Props Department staff, as per the complaint,” it states. “Clearly, no one was ‘laid off.’ Instead, the Defendants opted to begin anew with the Prop Department’s team in order to skirt any ongoing employee issues stemming from Tyler Patton’s and Tammie Patton’s misconduct.

After that incident, the plaintiffs allege they have been barred from participating in projects produced by 20th Century Fox and Disney.

This legal action alleges incidents of sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful dismissal, negligent hiring (and various other issues). It requests an undisclosed amount in compensation.

20th and Disney didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The 20th and Ryan Murphy Television’s first-year drama featuring Joshua Jackson as a ship doctor on a cruise liner has yet to receive confirmation about its continuation, making it the sole ABC scripted show currently hanging in the balance regarding its fate.

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2025-05-31 03:55