Netflix tells recruiters to avoid talking about Dave Chappelle

The Verge

In a memo obtained by The Verge, Netflix urges members of its talent acquisition team to avoid discussing Chappelle after his latest special The Closer generated controversy with accusations it promoted transphobia while also generating headlines about cancel culture and comedy. “Find a way to respectfully end and move on from the topic if you’re pressed further on the topic in areas not covered in the talking points,” the memo reads. In a section titled “The Closer and employees,” Netflix encourages recruiters to state: “We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that’s been caused. We respect the decision of any employee who chose to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content.” The memo also tells recruiters how to handle questions about the firing of B. Pagels-Minor, the pregnant Black trans employee who was let go after allegedly leaking confidential information -- which she denied. Recruiters are told to say: “We have let go of an employee for sharing confidential, commercially sensitive information outside the company. We understand they may have been motivated by disappointment and hurt with Netflix, but maintaining a culture of trust and transparency is core to our company.”