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| Gretchen Carlson |
Variety reports a Fox News Channel spokesperson could not be reached for immediate comment.
Carlson, who was a co-anchor at “Fox & Friends” and who more recently anchored a daytime program, “The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson,” alleged in the lawsuit, filed in Superior Court of New Jersey, that she was removed from “Fox & Friends” in 2013 after she complained about behavior by co-host Steve Doocy, and was moved to an afternoon program as a way to diminish her presence at the network. Carlson alleged she was terminated on June 23 after her current contract elapsed.
As you may have heard, I'm no longer with @FoxNews. I value your support and friendship so please stay in touch: https://t.co/R7JBTsvYSh— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) July 6, 2016
“We believe that the evidence will confirm that Gretchen was fired from ‘Fox & Friends’ for speaking up about demeaning and discriminatory behavior on and off the set,” said Nancy Erika Smith, an employment litigator at Smith Mullin P.C., a Montclair, N.J., firm that is representing Carlson, in a prepared statement.
According to the lawyers at Smith Mullin P.C., who are representing Carlson, her contract was terminated on June 23. Fox News did not publicly announce the contract termination, and Carlson said on her Twitter account at the time that she was on "on vacation", according to Politico.
"I have strived to empower women and girls throughout my entire career," Carlson said in a statement. "Although this was a difficult step to take, I had to stand up for myself and speak out for all women and the next generation of women in the workplace. I am extremely proud of my accomplishments at Fox News and for keeping our loyal viewers engaged and informed on events and news topics of the day."
The Washington Post reports the 50-year-old Carlson, who co-hosted the “Fox and Friends” morning program and later an afternoon news show on Fox, was dropped by the network June 23 when her contract expired.
She alleges that her contract was not renewed because she challenged unequal treatment of women at Fox. She also alleges that Ailes, 76, suggested that they have a sexual relationship during a meeting last year to discuss Carlson’s complaints, according to a statement issued by the law firm representing Carlson.
Carlson, a former Miss America, had been at Fox News for 11 years.
Fox had no immediate comment about the lawsuit.
In a suit filed Wednesday in superior court in Bergen County, N.J., Carlson alleges that Ailes “unlawfully retaliated” against her and “sabotaged her career after she refused his sexual advances and complained about severe and pervasive sexual harassment.”
“I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better,” the complaint says Ailes told Carlson last September when she complained to him. He allegedly added, “Sometimes problems are easier to solve that way.”
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| Carlson with Fox& Friends cohosts Steve Doocy, Brian Kilmeade |
The complaint says Doocy “engaged in a pattern of severe and pervasive mistreatment” of Carlson, such as belittling her during commercial breaks, and “generally attempting to put her in place by refusing to accept and treat her as an intelligent and insightful female journalist rather than a blond female prop.”
It alleges that Ailes responded to her complaints by calling her “a man hater” and “killer” and telling her she needed “to get along with the boys.”
In response to Carlson’s complaints, Ailes allegedly reassigned her from the highly rated “Fox and Friends” to a one-hour news show at 2 p.m., a lesser time slot, and reduced her compensation. He also allegedly denied her high-profile interviews and kept her off other Fox programs, such as the top-rated “O’Reilly Factor.”
Ailes allegedly dismissed her complaints by telling her not to get offended “so goddamn easy about everything.”
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