Lucas to Take Stand in Discrimination Case

By: Katharine Mieszkowski

Will the force be with him?

George Lucas will have to testify before a jury in a gender discrimination suit filed by a former job candidate at his company, just like any other ordinary mortal.

The plaintiff, Julie Gilman Veronese, alleges that LucasFilm Ltd. rescinded a job offer after she revealed that she was pregnant. A judge ruled on Wednesday that Lucas must take the stand like any of the trial's other approximately 30 witnesses, the Marin Independent Journal reported.

The company's lawyers argued that Lucas had no involvement in the "hiring or firing" of the plaintiff. They'd lobbied the judge to allow the filmmaker to meet privately in chambers to determine if he had information relevant to the case. 

But the plaintiff's counsel successfully argued that would be giving the creator of "Star Wars" special treatment not available to other witnesses.