Fox News agreed to a roughly $15 million settlement with a female former host who complained about gender-based pay disparities at the cable news network, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Although the kind of sum won by Melissa Francis, an on-air personality for several shows on Fox News and Fox Business Network from 2012 to 2020, is unusual in television news, it underscores perennial concerns that women do not prosper as well as men in this industry — an issue Francis says she personally attempted to investigate by researching what her peers earned at Fox.
Heitshusen had been at Des Moines, Iowa, NBC affiliate WHO for 17 years when she said she was denied an on-air contract in 2020. She filed an age and gender discrimination lawsuit against the station and parent company, Nexstar, alleging a widespread practice of removing older, female staffers from the air because of their looks. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendants on Wednesday afternoon.
The terms of the settlement between the streaming giant and the comedian and Oscar-winning actor weren’t disclosed Wednesday, when they jointly filed in a Los Angeles federal court for the racial and sexual discrimination case’s dismissal.
Brian Flores, the former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, claimed in a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday that the NFL discriminated against him and other Black coaches in their hiring practices.
Exclusives
John Fawcett, who works on the Kudlow show hosted by Larry Kudlow on Fox Business Network, claims in his lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court in Manhattan that “sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and racial discrimination are still tolerated at Fox.”
A federal magistrate judge in Miami has given the green light for a class-action labor law and sex and age discrimination lawsuit to go forward against CBS Broadcasting. The ruling could have nationwide impact on CBS’s 29 owned-and-operated television stations.
The Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing have jointly agreed to pay $3 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by multi-ethnic group of journalists who claimed that they were systematically paid less than their white male counterparts.
DMA 10: ATLANTA
Fired Forecaster Paul Ossmann Sues WGCL
DMA 33: HARTFORD, CT
Nexstar, WTNH Sued For Discrimination
The former human resources manager at ABC affiliate WTNH New Haven, Conn., has sued the station and its parent company, Nexstar Media Group, claiming gender and age discrimination and alleging that the station’s general manager made “sexist comments regarding young females.”
DMA 24: PITTSBURGH
WTAE, Wendy Bell Settle Discrimination Lawsuit
DMA 2: LOS ANGELES
Ex-Weatherman Sues Gloria Allred For Malpractice
LOS ANGELES (AP) — TV personality Colleen Dominguez alleges that Fox Sports 1, her employer for more than a year, was guilty of age and gender discrimination when it withheld […]
DMA 80 (PORTLAND, ME)
Settlement Reached In Anchor Suit Against WGME
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Lawyers signed a deal Friday to drop a discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit against celebrity cook Paula Deen, who was dumped by the Food Network and […]
DMA 80 (PORTLAND, ME)
Ex-WGME Anchor Sues For Discrimination
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jurors awarded nearly $777,000 Tuesday to a former “The Price is Right” model who claimed she was discriminated against by producers because of her pregnancy. Brandi […]
DMA 40 (LAS VEGAS)
Arbitration Ordered In Ex-KSNV Anchor’s Dispute
A lawsuit filed against CNN by the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness will be moving to trial, and the result could have a serious impact on how TV news outlets present their content online.
DMA 5 (DALLAS)
Arbitrator Rules Against WFAA Anchor
An arbitrator has ruled against WFAA Dallas anchor/reporter Debbie Denmon in her weight and race discrimination suit against the Belo ABC affiliate. “There was no money split. She got zero,” said a source familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity.
DMA 117 (FARGO, N.D.)
