A transgender employee has filed a lawsuit against NBCUniversal and Universal Studios, alleging sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. The complaint, lodged in Los Angeles Superior Court last Wednesday, details claims of unwanted sexual advances from a supervisor and subsequent punitive actions, including a reduction in work hours.
Nikki Campus, who began working for the company in 2010, states in the lawsuit that she commenced her gender transition in 2019. According to the complaint, she began experiencing derogatory remarks from coworkers around this time, with one allegedly calling her decision an "abomination" and suggesting she speak with a pastor.
The core of the allegations centers on the period after a new supervisor, identified as Charles Woods, took over in 2022. Campus claims Woods made inappropriate comments about her body, including questions about whether her buttocks were real or surgically enhanced. The lawsuit further alleges that Woods made crude comments to a coworker about Campus and, in April 2025, allegedly caressed her thigh in a golf cart and proposed sexual activity, stating he was "not opposed" to cheating on his wife. Campus claims she rebuffed his advances.
Following her rejection, the lawsuit alleges that retaliatory actions began. Campus claims Woods began criticizing her work, assigning her what she describes as "menial" tasks, and accusing her of working too slowly. The complaint also states that Woods questioned her gender identity and restroom usage, and became furious when Campus reported his conduct.
The lawsuit indicates that HR investigations were initiated but allegedly yielded no results shared with Campus. A second investigation was reportedly launched after Woods' reaction to the initial report. Subsequently, Campus was denied a promotion to department head in November 2025, and her work hours were reduced from full-time to part-time the following month. Campus is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, citing financial loss and severe emotional distress as a result of the alleged actions.