Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Against Fox News Grows
It looks like the fallout at Fox News will continue to grow despite the firings of former comptroller Judy Slater and Bill OโReilly.
New York Magazine reports that another seven employees are expected to join the racial discrimination suit against the network that was filed in late March. A source for the Daily Intelligencer says the plaintiffsโ lawyers plan to allege that Tammy Efinger, the director of accounting at Fox did nothing about Slaterโs behavior, which included using racial insults toward employees.
In a letter to the networkโs lawyers obtained by New York, the attorneys state:
โNot once did Ms. Efinger step in or attempt to interfere with Ms. Slaterโs outrageous conduct.โ The letter adds, instead, โMs. Efinger chose to laugh or giggle following Ms. Slaterโs vitriol.
It gets worse thoughโฆ
According to the plaintiffsโ attorneys, Slater demanded that black employees hold โarm wrestling matchesโโ with white female employees in her office, just down the hall from Ailesโs office on the 2nd floor of Fox headquarters. โForcing a black woman employee to โfightโ for the amusement and pleasure of her white superiors is horrifying. This highly offensive and humiliating act is reminiscent of Jim Crow era battle royals,โ the letter says, referring to the practice of paying black men to fight blindfolded at carnivals for white spectatorsโ entertainment. The lawyers argue that Efinger bragged about wanting to โfightโ a black employee.
Jeanne Christensen, a lawyer for the employees, commented,
โThere will be more complaints forthcoming in the next few days.โ
YIKESโฆ This is bad. Really really bad. All we know is the employees suing BETTER see a bigger payout than OโReillyโs severance package.