New York (dpa/tca) – Fox News, once home to accused workplace sexual harassers Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly, was whacked Tuesday with a record 1-million-dollar fine by New York City’s Commission on Human Rights.
The settlement resolved charges stemming from a probe of Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch’s news channel dating back to December 2018, the agency announced. It was the stiffest penalty ever imposed by the commission since its launch six decades ago.
In addition, Fox will remain under the commission’s watchful eye for the next two years «to insure compliance» with the conciliation agreement reached between the city and the 24-hour news operation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
«With this settlement, the commission … has mandated dramatic and critical policy changes at Fox News Network,» said commission Chairwoman Carmelyn Malalis. «Our settlement demonstrates that in New York City no one is above the law.
«Every New Yorker, whether in a newsroom or a lunchroom, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect in their workplace.»
Fox agreed to conduct anti-discrimination and sexual harassment prevention training, post commission policies and complaint procedures in the company offices, and create a hotline to handle staff reports of harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
«We are pleased to reach an amicable resolution of this legacy matter,» read a Fox statement released Tuesday.
«Fox News Media has already been in full compliance across the board, but cooperated with the New York City Commission on Human Rights to continue enacting extensive preventive measures against all forms of discrimination and harassment.»
Ailes, once the network’s chairman, and star host O’Reilly were both forced off the network over allegations of sexual harassment in years past. Fox mega-star O’Reilly was let go in 2017 after settlement deals were made public involving five women who leveled charges of harassment against him.
The ousted host of the high-rated «O’Reilly Factor» has denied the allegations. And Ailes, who abruptly departed the network in 2016, and died the next year.
Ex-Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson, who accused Ailes of sexual harassment, collected a 20 million settlement from Fox in her sexual harassment and retaliation suit against the right-leaning network.
She alleged her spurning of Ailes’ advances led to a pay cut, a departure from the network’s prime-time lineup and the loss of high-profile on-air assignments.
The commission retained the rights to tack on additional penalties if additional claims of harassment or retaliation are leveled against Fox.
«The message was are sending is simple: There is no room for discrimination in New York City,» said Sapna Raj, the deputy commissioner of the Law Enforcement Bureau. «And the commission will enforce the law to the highest possible extent for violators who think otherwise.»
Larry McShane, New York Daily News