‘Midnight Rider’ Director Randall Miller Sues DGA to Overturn Lifetime Ban

Randall Miller, the director who served a year in a Georgia jail for a fatal accident on the set of “Midnight Rider,” has sued the Directors Guild of America in a bid to overturn his lifetime expulsion.

Miller pleaded guilty in 2015 to involuntary manslaughter in the death of Sarah Jones, the camera assistant who was struck by a freight train while the crew was attempting to film a scene on a bridge without permission.

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Seven years later, the DGA expelled Miller for life, effectively prohibiting him from directing a signatory film.

The expulsion came after Miller directed another film, “Coffee Wars,” while on probation. Georgia prosecutors sought to revoke his probation, arguing that Miller had violated a term forbidding him from directing for 10 years. Miller maintained that he believed he could direct so long as someone else was responsible for safety on set. After a lengthy hearing in 2021, a judge let Miller off with a warning and did not order him back to jail.

The DGA had previously suspended Miller for a year due to the “Midnight Rider” crash. Following the probation revocation hearing, the union launched a second proceeding in which it found that Miller had engaged in conduct “prejudicial to the welfare of the Guild.” The 27-member Western Directors Council voted unanimously to expel him for life in May 2022, the lawsuit states.

Miller sued the DGA on July 30, arguing that the expulsion violates the guild’s constitution, and that the proceeding was “predetermined and initiated in bad faith.” The complaint asserts that the DGA was facing pressure from its members and from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees to stop Miller from working.

It quotes an email from Lesli Linka Glatter, the guild’s president, complaining to other DGA leaders about Miller: “Would love to talk to you about how to deal with this. Can’t believe this guy is directing again.”

The suit also argues that DGA leadership manipulated the vote of the Ethics Committee, the five-member panel that makes recommendations to the directors council on disciplinary matters. According to the complaint, Miller was told that the initial vote was 5-0 against expulsion, but that after leadership met with the committee members, the committee voted 4-1 in favor.

Miller also accuses the DGA of interfering with the distribution of “Coffee Wars” (previously titled “Higher Grounds”). According to his complaint, while the expulsion was pending, Sky cancelled a deal to broadcast the film in the U.K. The cancellation cost the investors $500,000, undermined the global market for the film, and harmed Miller’s ability to fund future projects, the suit alleges.

“The harm caused by the DGA’s actions toward Miller, marked by deceit and an abuse of process, has been catastrophic to his professional reputation and continues to hinder his job prospects,” the lawsuit states. “Miller has not been able to direct any project since ‘Coffee Wars.’”

The Jones family publicly urged the DGA to expel Miller in 2020.

In response to the suit, a DGA spokesperson said, “Ever since Randall Miller pled guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the tragic death of Sarah Jones on ‘Midnight Rider,’ he has sought to absolve himself of responsibility for his conduct.”

“This lawsuit is a baseless attempt to blame his union for the reputational damage he suffered as a result of his own actions,” the spokesperson continued. “We look forward to addressing these misguided claims in court. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Jones family for the loss of their beloved daughter.”

Last year, Miller obtained a $1.5 million tax incentive from California to make a film called “Supercrip,” though he is listed only as a writer and producer, not a director. Miller completed his probation in March and got his conviction expunged.

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