Eckhart told the court that she had been fired for speaking out against abuse; however, Fox provided extensive documentation showing that she had been terminated for poor performance.
A federal judge has dismissed Fox News Media as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by former producer Jennifer Eckhart, who claimed that she was sexually abused, assaulted, and harassed by former Fox News anchor Ed Henry.
According to National Public Radio, Fox News Media fired Henry in July of 2020 following an external investigation into “willful sexual misconduct in the workplace.” About one month later, Eckhart filed her lawsuit, saying that Henry had raped her and subjected her to years of harassment, promising to advance her career so long as she gave into his demands.
Fox News, Eckhart claimed, was most likely aware of Henry’s misconduct yet failed to take any meaningful disciplinary action against him. In her complaint, Eckhart said that Fox “continues to protect and reward perpetrators of sexual harassment and refuses to take accountability for putting such persons in positions of power.”
Eckhart told the court that she had been fired for speaking out against abuse; however, Fox provided extensive documentation showing that she had been terminated for poor performance.
In his decision, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams cited Fox’s evidence, which indicated that Eckhart was frequently late for work. Abrams ultimately found that Fox did not know, and could not have known, that “Henry would assault Echart because it did not learn of his alleged misconduct until much later.”
“We are pleased with the court’s decision, which speaks for itself,” a Fox spokesperson said in a statement.
“Upon learning of Jennifer Eckhart’s allegations in 2020, FOX News promptly conducted an investigation by an outside independent law firm and terminated Ed Henry within six days,” Fox said. “Discovery in this matter confirmed that FOX was not aware of their relationship or of Ms. Eckhart’s allegations until after she left the company. The only people who know what happened between Mr. Henry and Ms. Eckhart are the two of them.”
Eckhart, for her part, said that she plans to appeal Abram’s dismissal.
“This fight is bigger than me,” she said in a statement. “It is about changing a corporate culture that continues to enable abuse, fear, intimidation and silence.”
Eckhart emphasized that the judge will allow most of her claims against other defendants to proceed, with Abrams having said that the evidence as presented could persuade a “reasonable jury.”
Henry, who is now an anchor with Fox’s right-wing competitor, Newsmax, maintains that everything that occurred between him and Eckhart was consensual.
Sources
Fox News Wins Dismissal of Lawsuit From Producer Alleging Ed Henry Rape
Judge dismisses Fox News from sexual assault lawsuit against former star
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