Gretchen Carlson was suddenly no longer on the Fox News roster at the end of the June, despite being one of the biggest draws on the network. She has finally provided some insight as to why.
Ms. Carlson has filed a lawsuit on July 6 alleging that Fox News was a hostile work environment and that Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes terminated her because of her refusal to engage in a sexual relationship with him. Her complaint reads:
“Ailes has unlawfully retaliated against Carlson and sabotaged her career because she refused his sexual advances and complained about severe and pervasive sexual harassment… When Carlson met with Ailes to discuss the discriminatory treatment to which she was being subjected, Ailes stated: ‘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,’ adding that ‘sometimes problems are easier to solve’ that way. Carlson rebuffed Ailes’ sexual demands at that meeting, and nine months later, Ailes ended her career at Fox News.”
Ms. Carlson further alleges that Mr. Ailes instructed her to turn around on multiple occasions so he could stare at her backside and that he made requests that she wear outfits that showed off her figure.
Roger Ailes has been accused of sexual harassment before.
But Ailes isn’t the only personality at the right-wing propaganda machine named in Ms. Carlson’s lawsuit. She also alleges Fox News was an overly hostile work environment and specifically calls out Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy as being a major contributor to said hostile work environment.
“Doocy engaged in a pattern and practice of severe and pervasive sexual harassment of Carlson, including, but not limited to, mocking her during commercial breaks, shunning her off air, refusing to engage with her on air, belittling her contributions to the show, and generally attempting to put her in her place by refusing to accept and treat her as an intelligent and insightful female journalist rather than a blond female prop.
After learning of Carlson’s complaints, Ailes responded by calling Carlson a ‘man hater’ and a ‘killer’ and telling her that she needed to learn to ‘get along with the boys.'”
Carlson is being represented by attorney Nancy Erika Smith, who told CNN that Mr. Ailes’ sexual harassment toward Ms. Carlson was “very consistent and very pervasive.” She also indicated other women could testify against Mr. Ailes.
Ms. Carlson had been at Fox News for 11 years before she was terminated on June 23. She worked closely with Mr. Doocy while co-hosting Fox & Friends until 2013, when she was moved to her own time slot. Her most recent program, The Real Story, has been hosted by various fill-ins since her termination and has been the highest-rated cable news program in its time slot.
Featured image via Fox and Friends
h/t Raw Story