Fox News Settles Lawsuits for $12 Million After Allegations of Coercion and Harassment
Earlier this year, Abby Grossberg, a former producer for Fox News, filed two lawsuits against the network, Tucker Carlson, and other producers. Grossberg claimed that Fox’s lawyers coerced her to give false testimony in the defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox. She also alleged that she and host Maria Bartimoto were being set up to take the fall for the network’s decision to repeatedly air the false conspiracy theory that Dominion had manipulated the results of the 2020 election. Additionally, she accused male producers at Fox of harassing her, contributing to a toxic and misogynistic environment.
In response to Grossberg’s lawsuits, Fox News swiftly fired her, accusing her of divulging privileged information. However, the network has now settled the cases for $12 million, according to the New York Times. The settlement with Grossberg can be seen as part of Fox News’ efforts to clean up after the Dominion lawsuit. Grossberg’s deposition, emails, and audio recordings of her interviews with figures like Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Ted Cruz were submitted as evidence in the Dominion case. Six days after Fox settled with Dominion for $787.5 million, the network abruptly canceled Tucker Carlson’s show.
The New York Times later reported that Carlson was fired due to racist and sexist text messages uncovered in Dominion’s lawsuit. One text message described Carlson’s misgivings about Trump supporters beating up an “Antifa kid” because “it’s not how white men fight.” Fox News’ board was reportedly concerned that these messages could become public and damage the network’s reputation if the Dominion case went to trial.
The board’s reaction to Carlson’s texts is notable because racism and sexism are not uncommon at Fox News. Grossberg’s claims include allegations of a workplace decorated with photos of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wearing a revealing swimsuit. She also accused Fox News employees of regularly disparaging women with vulgar insults and making antisemitic remarks. These claims align with previous reports of sexism and harassment within the network, involving figures like Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly.
Carlson has denied ever meeting Grossberg, and another former producer, Justin Wells, continues to deny her claims. However, Grossberg sees the $12 million settlement as a sign that Fox News is taking her claims seriously. She hopes that this resolution represents a positive step by the network regarding its treatment of women and minorities in the workplace.
As Fox News settles these lawsuits, it remains to be seen how the network will address the broader issues of coercion, harassment, and toxic workplace culture. The multi-million dollar settlements suggest that there is significant validity to Grossberg’s allegations and raise questions about the network’s commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for its employees.
Original Story at www.motherjones.com – 2023-07-02 21:51:33
