Seven Employees Join Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Fox News
Fox News is learning what happens when you let a toxic culture infiltrate an organization and fester for decades. The hard way.
It appears that Fox News is no closer to getting out of its legal tailspin after firing Bill O’Reilly amid a sexual harassment scandal. New York Magazine reports that seven more black employees plan to join a racial discrimination lawsuit against the conservative cable news network.
The lawsuit originally included two black women who accused former comptroller Judy Slater of years of misconduct including the use of racial slurs. Now, more employees from the payroll department are coming out with more stories of just how racially charged the Fox News offices were.
They’re specifically asking that Fox’s accounting director, Tammy Efinger, be removed from her position.
“Not once did Ms. Efinger step in or attempt to interfere with Ms. Slater’s outrageous conduct.” states a letter written to Fox News’ legal team, “Ms. Efinger chose to laugh or giggle following Ms. Slater’s vitriol.”
The letter goes on to name specific instances where Efinger allegedly allowed or downright supported Slater’s racist antics.
“Forcing a black woman employee to ‘fight’ for the amusement and pleasure of her white superiors is horrifying,” it states. “This highly offensive and humiliating act is reminiscent of Jim Crow era battle royals.”
As if these charges weren’t enough of a smudge on the already dirt-ridden name that is Fox News, Sean Hannity, another prominent figure on the network, was recently accused of sexual harassment by a former guest.
Debbie Schussel says Hannity asked her to his hotel room twice and was blackballed from the network after saying no, according to the Huffington Post.
“I wasn’t booked on his show again, and he called me and yelled at me,” Schlussel said. “It was made clear to me that I didn’t go back to his hotel with him after. I got a very weird feeling about the whole thing, and I kind of knew I wouldn’t be back on his show.”
Fox News argues that Schussel is lying and Hannity himself feels that all of these accusations are an organized attempt to dismantle the conservative media. However, it could just be the other shoe dropping.
It’s not hard to imagine an entire corporation becoming a breeding ground for racism, misogyny and sexual harassment when the CEO’s supported it for 20 years. It’s also not hard to imagine what the office is like if this video shows what they’re like with the cameras on:
LEAKED: Fox News 8pm anchor audition tape. pic.twitter.com/k7JHKSDgAt
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) April 20, 2017