Comedian's gender discrimination suit against Netflix moved to federal court

If Mo'Nique wants to keep her stand-up salary scuffle with Netflix Inc. streaming on, she'll have to do it in the Central District of California.

Likely seeing it as the more favorable venue for winning a pre-trial dismissal, the company won its bid to have a pay discrimination lawsuit filed by the comedienne and actress, whose real name is Monique Hicks, moved from Los Angeles County Superior Court Tuesday.

The complaint, filed last month for race and gender discrimination and retaliation among other claims. stemmed from a pay dispute between Netflix and the Emmy-nominated and Award-winning actress. Hicks claimed the $500,000 she was offered by the streaming service for a comedy special was evidence of a longstanding pay inequity for black workers, particularly for women.

She compared the proposed salary to amounts earned by black male comedians like Dave Chapelle and Chris Rock, who each earned a sizable $20 million per special. Hicks noted in her complaint that white comedienne Amy Schumer had a deal for $13 million, having negotiated herself a $2 million raise based on reports on the salaries for Chapelle and Rock.

In response, Netflix filed to have the case moved to federal courts, which offer defendants seeking a judge's outright dismissal of a case a more expansive toolbox than their state counterparts. The streaming giant noted several of Hicks' claims, including her race and gender discrimination claims, were based on federal statute, necessitating the removal of the case as a whole.

On Tuesday, the case was officially transferred from the docket of superior court Judge Holly Fujie to the federal court. Counsel for Hicks at federal court is not currently listed, though in state court she was represented by Michael W. Parks of Schimmel & Parks.

Netflix is represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan partner Rebecca Davis.

-- Steven Crighton