Florida fans of the Fox Nation host Britt McHenry may have wondered why she and Fox news contributor Tyrus, whose real name is George Murdoch, stopped appearing together on the program “Un-PC.” On Dec. 10, McHenry filed a lawsuit against Murdoch and the network for retaliation, sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The lawsuit also names several executives.
Fox had claimed that it strengthened its employee protections against sexual harassment after the departure of its chairman, Roger Ailes, who had been accused of sexual harassment himself as well as accused of creating an environment where it flourished. However, McHenry’s complaint details a process in which her claims of harassment were dismissed. She says that Murdoch sent numerous harassing texts to her and that after her initial efforts at deflecting them were unsuccessful, her supervisor appeared to ignore her initial complaint. Later, an investigation determined that Murdoch’s behavior did not constitute sexual harassment and questioned what McHenry had done to provoke the texts.
A second outside investigation came to a similar conclusion, and McHenry was required to take a sexual harassment course. McHenry also says that after she reported the harassment, Tyrus was moved to another show, which was essentially a promotion. She also says that photos she allegedly sent to Tyrus were doctored. She has asked for a jury trial and damages.
In South Florida sexual harassment legal assistance may help an employee decide what to do in a similar situation. Generally, the first step is to do as McHenry did and attempt to report the situation at work. However, people often hesitate to take even this step since they worry their career can be adversely affected. Talking to an attorney may help people understand their rights and how to proceed if they wish to file a sexual harassment lawsuit.
