Judge Tosses Lawsuit Accusing Top GMA Producer of Sexual Assault

Michael Corn

A New York State Supreme Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit against former ABC News executive Michael Corn by a producer at the network who accused him of creating a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and improper sexual contact, reports The Wall Street Journal.

In a ruling released Wednesday, Judge Barbara Jaffe said the statute of limitations for the alleged improper touching in 2015 had expired.

In addition, the judge ruled that the plaintiff—Kirstyn Crawford—failed to prove Mr. Corn fostered a hostile work environment since the alleged 2015 incident. That was a key component of the plaintiff’s case as it would have allowed the alleged assault to be considered during trial despite the timetable. The judge ruled that the incidents cited by Ms. Crawford didn’t measure up to sexual harassment or fostering a hostile work environment. The judge said that some of Mr. Corn’s alleged remarks, “while boorish, ill-advised, and inappropriate, do not create a hostile work environment, much less a continuing violation.”

Meredith Cavallaro, Mr. Corn’s lawyer, said: “We are very pleased the Court recognized the complete lack of merit to the claims brought against Mr. Corn.”

The suit was filed last year by Ms. Crawford, who was a producer on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” where Mr. Corn served as executive producer. She alleged Mr. Corn assaulted her during a 2015 business trip to Los Angeles and subsequently created a hostile work environment and stalled her professional career.

Mr. Corn, who left ABC News in April 2021 as a result of an internal investigation into Ms. Crawford’s allegations, has denied the claims. He is now the head of programming for the cable news channel NewsNation, owned by Nexstar Media Group Inc.

In a filing to dismiss Ms. Crawford’s suit in October, ABC News said it terminated Mr. Corn after an “investigation determined that it was more likely than not that Corn violated ABC’s policies.”

An ABC News spokeswoman declined to comment.