Gretchen Carlson has filed a sexual harassment suit against her Fox News boss Roger Ailes. Ailes fired back by calling it “defamatory” and claiming she “became aware that her career with the network was likely over and conveniently began to pursue a lawsuit”.
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As previously reported, Carlson alleges in eight court documents that Ailes sexually harassed her during her tenure as a Fox News employee.
After departing the program, Carlson was given her own afternoon hour “The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson”, which she believes lowered her profile at Fox News.
She also claimed in the lawsuit that Ailes called her a “man hater” and that he criticized her for getting offended when she had confrontations with male coworkers including former co-host Steve Doocy.
Carlson also claims in her complaint that Ailes once told people at an event that he likes to stay seated when women greet him so they have to “bend over” to say hello.
According to Carlson, she asked for a meeting with Ailes in September of 2015 to discuss his retaliatory and discriminatory practices. However, Doocy is not a defendant in the lawsuit filed by Carlson.
Two days after the June 12 Orlando, Florida, nightclub massacre, Carlson told viewers that she supported reinstating a ban on assault weapons.
While the lawsuit is based in part on alleged comments by Ailes in private conversations with Carlson, it provides no e-mail, texts or voice mail as evidence. A representative for Fox News was unavailable to comment. She says in a statement, “I have strived to empower women and girls throughout my entire career”.
The chairman and CEO of Fox News has denied accusations of sexual harassment by one of the network’s former most popular show hosts. This is a hard time, but I have to stand up for myself & all women.
Ms. Carlson’s relationship with Mr. Ailes first started to sour in 2009 when she complained to her supervisor about Mr. Doocy.
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She was sacked from “Fox & Friends” in 2013 and demoted, given a smaller salary, which she again says was in retaliation for not acceding to sexual harassment. The journalist is demanding compensatory damages, damages for mental anguish, reimbursement for negative tax consequences resulting from a jury verdict, punitive damages and attorneys’ fees and costs of suit.
