Range Media Partners has been sued by Michele Solis, a former executive assistant who alleges she was given an ultimatum to accept a demotion or be fired for requesting to take a medical leave.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday in California state court, brings claims for disability discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination, among several others. It seeks unspecified damages.
Solis started at Range in 2022 as executive assistant to the CEO of Range Media, which is run by Peter Micelli, before transitioning to another role in which she provided services to crossover clients in music and film, according to her LinkedIn profile. Earlier this year, she was involved in a car accident that forced her to go on a medical leave for a week.
When she returned, Solis says she was met with “unexpected criticism” by partner Rachel Douglas, who complained of incomplete tasks while she was away, the lawsuit says. Solis was told that there were plans to demote her to the reception desk with a lower salary, allegedly causing her to experience panic attacks.
Around this time, Solis told human resources of her condition and was advised to seek medical assistance. But when she notified Range that she’d be going on disability leave, she was informed that her position would no longer be available upon her return. She alleges she was cornered into accepting the demotion or face termination.
The lawsuit claims Solis, who was paid a salary of roughly $85,000, was “left embarrassed, ashamed, emotionally hurt, and in financial desperation for having been directly discriminated against for becoming disabled and going on a medical leave, despite her outstanding and loyal service.”
Range was formed in 2020 by former agents at CAA and WME, who took several high-profile clients with them to the upstart entrant to the representation space. Since then, it has grown to represent hundreds of clients across film and TV, formed a strategic partnership with A&E Networks and launched a film division through a merger with Automatik, as well as a separate music publishing arm.
The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
