Allegations of a “toxic” work environment created by showrunner Dan Schneider have surfaced in an investigation by Rolling Stone. The report documents instances of racism, sexism and sexually inappropriate situations on the popular Nickelodeon children’s shows All That, The Amanda Show and Zoey 101. The investigation aligns with the four-part documentary series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which premiered on March 17 and 18. Schneider’s representatives have responded to the allegations made in both the show and Rolling Stone’s report.
Several cast members came forward with allegations of sexually suggestive actions and scenes written by Schneider. One such claim was that Leon Frierson, who played a character called “Captain Big Nose” on All That, wore shoulder pads in the shape of phalluses. Also, Schneider was accused of developing a character called Penelope Taynt on The Amanda Show. There were other instances of sexually suggestive scenes that prominently featured pop star Ariana Grande when she was an actress on Victorious. Schneider’s shows have also been accused of racially charged scenes.
Some of Schneider’s former colleagues accused him of misogyny, sexism and asking for massages from female writers. Men were paid their full wages while women were asked to split a single writer’s salary. Schneider reportedly “deeply regrets” asking for neck massages, adding although the massages happened in public settings, it was “highly inappropriate and would never happen again.”
A spokesperson for Schneider responded to Rolling Stone, saying everything that happened on the shows he ran was “carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults and approved by the network.” Schneider has not responded to some of the allegations made, but the spokesperson did say, “Unfortunately, writers’ rooms were often off-color places, especially more than 20 years ago. Dan is extremely sorry if his behavior contributed to that environment and he has grown a lot since then. That behavior is clearly wrong and not for the workplace, and certainly he would never act that way again.
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