Fox News, Britt McHenry Continue Legal Battle Over Harassment

Brian Steinberg

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Fox News Channel and Britt McHenry, a commentator on its Fox Nation, streaming-video service, continue to be at odds over the host’s claim of sexual harassment by Tyrus, another of the outlet’s personalities,

On Friday, attorney Lisa Bloom said she had been hired by McHenry “as we litigate her sexual harassment claims against Fox News.” And she asked the Fox Corporation-owned unit to “release” Henry to speak about what happened to her. Bloom recently filed a sexual harassment complaint with New York State’s Division of Human Rights.

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Fox News said in a statement Friday that it had looked into the situation in great detail. “This matter has been fully investigated independently by two outside investigators who have exhausted every resource and avenue in doing so,” the company said in a statement. “We stand by our processes and the conclusions of those impartial reviews. We recognize Britt’s right to tell her side of the story and will defend in litigation our actions, which have been evidence-based and wholly appropriate.”

At issue are claims by McHenry that Tyrus sent her harassing texts. He continues to work at the news organization, though on a separate production from McHenry. Earlier, the two were assigned to work together on a Fox Nation program called “Un-PC.” McHenry continues to host that program. In the complaint, McHenry describes how the stress of the situation has affected her mental and physical health and says she believes her professional career has suffered during her time at Fox News.

“When truth is on your side, you can never go wrong,” McHenry said via Twitter on Thursday night.

Fox News had previously looked into her claims and in June said in a statement that “we consider the matter resolved.”

Claims of harassment became a sensitive issue at Fox News after former chief Roger Ailes was ousted from the company in the wake of harassment charges filed against him by former anchor Gretchen Carlson. The company brought in an independent law firm, elevated executives to supervise ad sales, human resources, programming and other areas, and changed the procedures it had in place for employees to report instances where they felt harassed.

 

 

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