Today, Wigdor LLP has filed three additional complaints on behalf of Kathleen Lee, Naima Farrow and Vidya Mann. Wigdor LLP has also submitted to Ofcom an update on the recent cases, as well as 21st Century Fox’s refusal to waive the confidential gag orders of its former clients.
Kathleen Lee is a Shift Editor at Fox News Radio where she has worked for over a decade. As alleged in the complaint, in 2013, soon after Fox News Radio hired Ron Flatter as an anchor, Ms. Lee reported his sexist and sexually harassing conduct to Mitch Davis and Bernie Pigott, the two executives leading Fox News Radio. The lawsuit alleges that Ms. Lee’s complaints were ignored, and furthermore, that after speaking out she was subject to unceasing retaliation that continues through the present.
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Naima Farrow worked for Fox News as an Accounts Payable Coordinator from July 2014 to November 2015. As alleged in the complaint, despite her impeccable performance, Ms. Farrow was terminated less than 72 hours after disclosing her pregnancy to her supervisor, Fox News Special Projects Manager Kim Jacobson. The complaint further alleges that Ms. Farrow, who is Black, was subjected to a racially hostile work environment at the hands of Fox News’s former Controller, Judith Slater.
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Vidya Mann is brown-skinned and Guyanese. Ms. Mann was hired by Fox as an Accounts Receivables (“AR”) Specialist in April 2009, through an agency and was not classified by Fox as a “permanent” employee, despite the fact that she worked in exactly the same position and performed the same work as other employees in AR. As alleged in the complaint, Ms. Mann’s repeated requests for a promotion to a “permanent” position were ignored, yet Ms. Slater offered permanent positions to White applicants. The complaint further alleges that Ms. Mann was terminated shortly after giving birth.
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The Plaintiffs are represented by Wigdor LLP Partners Douglas H. Wigdor and Jeanne M. Christensen, and Senior Associate Michael J. Willemin. Douglas Wigdor and Jeanne Christensen said of the recent filings:
“The new filings today in conjunction with our representation of the Black IT employee who was pressured to withdraw his complaint against Mr. Beckel as well as 21st Century Fox’s refusal to lift the confidential gag orders is a clear indication that despite public relations efforts to the contrary, business at 21st Century Fox continues to operate more akin to 18th Century Fox. It has, and continues to be, our hope that 21st Century Fox will recognize its failures and take prompt remedial action to ensure that other employees are not discriminated against, harassed, and/or retaliated. If they do not do so voluntarily, we will continue to pursue all available remedies to ensure that they are compelled to do so.”
Wigdor LLP now represents 23 former and current Fox employees. In addition to the individuals referenced above, our Firm represents 13 black and Hispanic employees in a race discrimination putative class action filed in Bronx County Supreme Court, Fox5 Reporter Lidija Ujkic in a race, age, pregnancy and gender discrimination action in the Southern District of New York, Fox News Radio Reporter Jessica Golloher in a gender discrimination and retaliation action in the New York County Supreme Court and another former Fox News employee who has filed an action with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.