Former Fox News Channel host Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment suit against the company’s chairman Roger Ailes this week, claiming that the station declined to renew her contract as a result of her having rebuffed Ailes’ prior sexual advances.
Carlson left Fox News in June, but was best known for her stint as one of the primary co-hosts for Fox News’ morning show, Fox & Friends, until 2013. In addition to claiming that Ailes sexually harassed her, Carlson also alleges that her former Fox & Friends co-host, Steven Doocy, treated her in a sexist and condescending manner, and that Ailes failed to act when she went to him with the allegations.
Rebuffed Advances
In one of the key interactions cited in the complaint, Carlson went to Ailes for help with the discriminatory treatment she had allegedly been given by her co-workers, namely Doocy. Ailes’ response was to inform Carlson that, in his opinion, the two should have engaged in a sexual relationship long ago, and if that were to happen all parties would be “good”.
According to the complaint Carlson cites the fact that she refused Ailes sexual advances as the reason that Fox News declined to renew her employment contract, a denial which she equated with the sabotaging of her career.
Competing Narratives
In responding to the complaint Ailes denied the charges and blamed Carlson for filing a lawsuit in order to retaliate for her no longer being employed by the network. He blamed her “disappointingly low ratings” for being a drag on the network’s ratings. Carlson’s lawyers dispute the claim that she had been let go due to low ratings, citing the fact that Carlson’s viewership was up 33% year-to-date at the time of her termination.
History of Allegations
Published reports indicate that Ailes has a history of sexually harassing women in the newsroom. In particular, his biographer alleged that in the 1980s he offered a TV producer an extra $100 per week in salary if she agreed to have sex with him whenever he wanted.
Carlson is demanding compensatory damages, punitive damages, and damages for mental anguish.
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