Fox News Personalities Sued by Makeup Artist, Accused of Sexual Orientation Bias

Lindsey Ellefson

Former Fox makeup artist Juan Legramandi says he was discriminated against at Fox News for being a gay Latino, and was ultimately fired in a lawsuit filed in New York federal court Thursday.

In the suit, obtained by TheWrap, Legramandi names host Harris Faulkner, contributor Angela McGlowan, and executives Jill Van Why and Marsheila Hayes specifically. According to the suit, McGlowan compared a makeup room he was in with another gay stylist to “Sodom and Gomorrah.” Faulkner, the suit says, called Hispanic women “ignorant” in front of him and, when he shared his mother’s Latina heritage, told him his birthplace of Colombia is “a third-world country.”

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He says a request not to work with Faulkner going forward was denied, though other stylists’ requests regarding certain talent were honored.

Legramandi says he was called a “diva” by a colleague, but when he complained to Van Why, senior vice president of programming operations, “no subsequent remedial action was taken” regarding he classified as insults based on his age, sex and orientation. Days later, the lawsuit says that Van Why summoned and interrogated him about whether there was “anything romantic” between him and senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano.

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He denied any involvement with Napolitano but said the meeting was “an opportunity to harass and discriminate against him.”

According to the suit, during a disagreement over Faulkner’s schedule, another coworker told Legramandi “I’m not uncomfortable. You’re the one moving. I’m straight.” It was in reporting this September 2018 incident, the plaintiff says, he was fired.

A Fox News spokesperson told TheWrap, “Fox News denies these allegations and will vigorously defend against these baseless claims.”

Read original story Fox News Personalities Sued by Makeup Artist, Accused of Sexual Orientation Bias At TheWrap