Penny Perry, an ex-casting director who had worked with Hallmark for almost a decade filed an age discrimination lawsuit against the media company on October 9, 2024, at Los Angeles Superior Court.
In the lawsuit, she accused Hallmark executives, including Lisa Hamilton Daly (Executive VP of Programming), Randy Pope (Senior VP of Programming and Development), and Paul Hodgkinson (VP of Human Resources), of wrongful termination, age and disability discrimination, defamation, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Penny Perry claimed that Lisa Hamilton Daly viewed her as "too old" for her role and strategically worked to remove her from the company in pursuit of recruiting new people. She alleged that the attitude was also the same towards top stars like Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert.
Daly allegedly remarked that Lacey was aging, and they needed to find someone to replace her as she got older. She also reportedly stated that no one wanted Robinson Peete because she was too expensive and aging, making her unsuitable for leading roles anymore.
In response to the claims, Hallmark issued a statement to Variety and Deadline denying the allegations. They emphasized that both Lacey and Holly were valued at the media company. While they typically did not comment on ongoing litigation, they rejected the accusations but chose not to discuss the employment matter publicly.
Penny Perry's lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, compensation for lost past and future earnings, and other damages from Hallmark. Perry accused Randy Pope of being abusive and regularly tormenting her. She also claimed that executives had repeatedly misrepresented her departure from the company, falsely stating that she resigned.
Penny Perry alleged that Hallmark abruptly fired her in April 2024
According to People Magazine, Penny Perry claimed she consistently received positive annual performance reviews, including one in February 2024, but was unexpectedly terminated in April 2024 and replaced by a younger man. According to the lawsuit, Hamilton Daly frequently made remarks about her being "too long in the tooth."
Perry accused Hallmark alleging that this behavior reflected the company's pattern of pushing out employees in their 60s and 70s due to their age. She also claimed she was excluded from meetings, her office was relocated to a different floor, and one of her casting projects was assigned to an external consultant.
According to Penny Perry, the situation unfolded quite differently during a virtual meeting on April 10, 2024, with Lisa Hamilton Daly and Paul Hodgkinson. In the meeting, she was informed that her job was being eliminated and was offered the choice of accepting a significant pay cut and a demoted position.
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Hodgkinson allegedly told her that if she did not sign the agreement, she would be terminated by 4:00 p.m. on April 12, 2024. Additionally, the lawsuit stated that the studio failed to accommodate her multiple sclerosis and blindness in one eye. Penny Perry also claimed that since her wrongful termination, she had sent out over 300 job inquiries but failed to receive full-time offers.
Penny Perry's casting work includes films like Cocoon, Ordinary People, and The Jerk, along with many Hallmark holiday movies, including her most recent projects A Biltmore Christmas and Holiday Hotline.
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