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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Paul Schrader’s former assistant accused him of sexual assault, sexual harassment and retaliation in a complaint filed in New York. Schrader denied the allegations. A judge later dismissed her separate effort to enforce a proposed settlement because the draft required both sides to sign and Schrader had not signed it. That ruling did not decide whether the alleged misconduct occurred.
What Schrader’s former assistant alleged
The former assistant, identified as Jane Doe in court papers and news coverage, worked for Schrader from May 2021 to September 2024, according to reporting on her complaint. She alleged that Schrader assaulted her during the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, exposed himself to her later during the trip, and fired her in September after she rejected his advances. The complaint also raised claims of sexual harassment, retaliation and related employment issues. These are allegations made in the complaint, not findings by the court.
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The complaint’s account places the alleged incidents in Cannes while Schrader was there in connection with Oh, Canada. The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times reported the allegations as claims in court papers.
How Schrader responded
Schrader denied the allegations. He said their intimate contact consisted of two kisses, and that he apologized after the second and did not try again. His attorney, Philip J. Kessler, also denied that Schrader had attempted to have a sexual relationship with Doe.
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Kessler said: “We absolutely deny that there was ever a sexual relationship of any kind between Mr. Schrader and his former assistant, and we deny that Mr. Schrader ever made an attempt to have a sexual relationship of any kind with his former assistant.” This is Schrader’s side’s account; the court did not determine whether it or Doe’s allegations were true.
Why Doe sued over a proposed settlement
In April 2025, Doe sued Schrader and Schrader Productions, Inc. in New York, seeking to enforce an alleged settlement after Schrader declined to sign the draft agreement. Her attorney, Gregory Chiarello, characterized it in court papers as “an open-and-shut settlement enforcement matter.”
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The defense argued that the draft could not take effect without both parties’ signatures. Kessler put the position this way: “The agreement that they’re trying to enforce against Mr. Schrader, in plain English, required both parties to sign it before it became legally effective.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the judge decided—and what the ruling did not decide
On August 6, 2025, the New York Supreme Court, New York County, denied Doe’s motion for summary judgment and granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss. The decision turned on the draft settlement’s stated condition that it would become effective when signed; Schrader had not signed it. The court therefore dismissed the action to enforce that draft.
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The ruling was about whether the proposed settlement was enforceable, not whether the alleged assault, harassment, retaliation or employment events happened. It should not be read as a finding for or against either account of the alleged misconduct.
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Case timeline
- May 2021–September 2024: Doe’s reported employment period.
- May 2024: Doe alleged incidents during the Cannes trip.
- April 2025: The settlement-enforcement lawsuit became public, with coverage reporting both the allegations and Schrader’s denial.
- August 6, 2025: The court dismissed the enforcement action because the draft required Schrader’s signature to become effective and he had not signed it.
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