Charges Dismissed Against Fox News in Assault Case

A federal judge, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, ruled in favor of Fox News’ motion for summary judgment, dismissing Jennifer Eckhart’s 2020 lawsuit against the network. 

Eckhart, a former associate producer at Fox News, had accused the cable news outlet of fostering an unsafe work environment and failing to prevent sexual misconduct by former anchor Ed Henry. Her claims included allegations of sexual assault, sex trafficking, harassment, retaliation, and violations of New York’s revenge-porn laws, stemming from incidents she alleged occurred during her tenure at the network.

The lawsuit, originally filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, centered on Eckhart’s assertion that Ed Henry had groomed, manipulated, and coerced her into a sexual relationship, culminating in two alleged assaults—one in 2017, which she described as a violent rape in a hotel room frequently used by Fox News for visiting employees, and another later incident. 

Eckhart claimed that Fox News was liable because its management should have been aware of Henry’s behavior and failed to protect her. She also alleged that the network retaliated by terminating her in June 2020 after she raised complaints, and that Henry shared explicit photos of her, constituting revenge porn.

Judge Abrams’ ruling hinged on the lack of direct evidence that Fox News knew about Henry’s alleged harassment of Eckhart prior to the incidents. The judge noted that Eckhart herself acknowledged she did not report her relationship with Henry or the alleged assaults to anyone at the company until after her termination in mid-2020. 

As a result, all claims against Fox News—including sexual assault, sex trafficking, harassment, retaliation, and revenge porn—were dismissed.