Alf Clausen, the long-time composer for The Simpsons, is suing Fox two years after the company fired him. The lawsuit claims that Clausen, 78, was let go due to his age and disability.
In August 2017, Clausen told reporters that Simpsons producer Richard Sakai had relieved him of his duties, as Fox wanted “a different kind of music.” At the time, it was speculated that the company’s real motivation was to save costs. According to Variety, the composer worked with a 35-piece orchestra — a set-up that the show’s creator Matt Groening had always insisted on, but which cost millions of dollars per year.
Clausen’s suit alleges that Sakai’s justification “was pretextual and false. Instead, Plaintiff’s unlawful termination was due to perceived disability and age.”