Ex Nickelodeon employee exposes “trauma” caused by Dan Schneider

Amid the release of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, a former Nickelodeon employee has spoken out to expose the “trauma” they experienced as a result of working for Dan Schneider. 

ID’s latest true crime documentary series lifts the veil on the kids TV empire built by Dan Schneider, exposing allegations of workplace bullying, racism, and sexism, while shining a light on the questionable jokes that made it into some of his shows. 

Alongside these claims, Quiet on Set highlights the crimes of a number of child sex offenders who previously worked for Nickelodeon, including Brian Peck and Jason Handy. Former stars including Drake Bell appear in the docuseries to share his experiences as well as a series of past Nickelodeon employees. 

However, one writer who spent a year working under Schneider says she can’t even watch Quiet on Set due the “trauma” the experience caused her. 

Former Nickelodeon employee exposes Dan Schneider “trauma”

Taking to X/Twitter, Amy Berg – who was writer on the final seasons of Kenan & Kel and All That, working alongside Schneider for a year — shared a comment in reaction to Quiet on Set, describing him as a “psychological tormenter.”

“So apparently there’s an expose running right now called Quiet on Set about the toxicity of the Dan Schneider era on Nickelodeon. I don’t talk much about my time there, but my VERY first job in town was as Dan’s assistant,” she writes.

“I worked with him for less than a year. He left Nickelodeon to create a show on UPN while I stayed and became a writer on the final seasons of Kenan & Kel and All That under the leadership of extraordinary humans Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert.”

Berg explains that while she wasn’t aware of any physically inappropriate behavior, she “can confirm that he was a “f**king a**hole” and a “psychological tormenter.” 

“He introduced me to panic attacks and the stress of working for him caused me to develop a significant heart arrhythmia. I eventually had surgery to [mostly] correct the issue, but by that point I’d lost all of my 20s. He stole those years from me,” she continues.

“While I don’t think my career trajectory was affected by my time with him, my personal life undoubtedly was. I became a shut-in due to the fear of having a medical crisis away from home. I was unable to cultivate relationships or nurture friendships.”

To this day, Berg says she carries an anxiety disorder that “rears its head when faced with other manipulators.”

She finishes by saying, “All that said, I will not be watching Quiet on Set. I’ve no interest in reliving anything, nor do I want to be in a situation where I’d feel inclined to defend Dan in any way.”

Numerous people have shared messages of support, with one writing: “Thank you for sharing this and I hope you’re doing okay now. Nobody should ever have to work in such a toxic environment.”

“I’m so sorry that you were ever put through that, Amy. You deserved better,” says another, while a third adds, “The bravery of your statement is admirable, and I’m so glad you can write with such a clear voice of your experience and its impact.”

While Schneider hasn’t responded to the statement as it was shared today (March 18), he did release the following for Quiet on Set: “Everything that happened on the shows I ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults. All stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. 

“A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes. In addition, every day on set, there were always parents and caregivers and their friends watching us rehearse and film.”

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is available on ID and Max, which you can sign up for here. Check out all of the true crime and documentaries heading to streaming this month here.

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