According to a joint report submitted to the LA County Superior Court, an agreement was reached in a lawsuit that accused James Franco of sexual misconduct, including sexual coercion and exploitation at his acting school. Franco taught at Studio 4 between 2014 and 2017. The lawsuit, brought by actresses and alumni Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal in 2019, accused Franco and his partners Vince Jolivette and Jay Davis of “widespread and sexually charged inappropriate behavior towards to students sexualizing their power as a teacher and employer, exhibiting the opportunity of roles in their projects. ” According The Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit claimed that Franco “sought to create a channel for young women who were subjected to their personal and professional sexual exploitation in the name of education,” which included pressuring them to shoot “orgy” scenes for the cameras. Yet, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the February 11 filing shows that Tither-Kaplan and Gaal “agreed to withdraw their individual claims under the agreement”.