Fox News agrees to pay $1 million fine for human rights law violation in New York City

Advertisement
Fox News agrees to pay $1 million fine for human rights law violation in New York City
SOPA Images / Getty
  • Fox News agreed to pay a $1 million settlement to the city of New York, the Daily Beast reported Tuesday.
  • The settlement was reached last week and is for its "pattern of violating the NYC Human Rights Law," according to the NYC Commission on Human Rights.
  • It concerns allegations of a toxic work environment and sexual harassment at the cable network, the report said.
Advertisement

Fox News has agreed to pay a $1 million fine to New York City for what the city's Commission on Human Rights dubbed "a pattern of violating the NYC Human Rights Law."

The Daily Beast first reported the news Tuesday.

The settlement, reached last week, concerns allegations of a toxic work environment and sexual harassment at the FOX Corp cable channel, the Daily Beast reported.

"We are pleased to reach an amicable resolution of this legacy matter," a Fox News spokesperson said in a statement to Insider. "FOX News Media has already been in full compliance across the board, but cooperated with the New York City Commission on Human Rights to continue enacting extensive preventive measures against all forms of discrimination and harassment."

"With this settlement, the Commission not only ordered the largest civil penalty in the Commission's history, but has mandated dramatic and critical policy changes at Fox News Network," said Carmelyn P. Malalis, the Chair and Commissioner of the NYC Commission on Human Rights, in a statement to Insider.

Advertisement

"The Commission takes all allegations of sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, and retaliation very seriously and our settlement today demonstrates that in New York City no one is above the law," she added. "Every New Yorker, whether in a newsroom or lunchroom, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect in their workplace."

The commission first submitted its complaint against Fox News in 2018, according to a copy of the settlement obtained by Insider. It requires that Fox News revise its sexual harassment and discrimination policies, conduct annual sexual harassment prevention training, and maintain a hotline for staffers to anonymously report instances of sexual harassment and gender-based harassment.

It requires the cable news network to remove mandatory arbitration clauses from contracts of its on-air talent and other staffers for a four-year period when they file claims with the city commission, according to the settlement.

It will conduct quarterly reviews of Fox News for the next two years to "ensure compliance," according to the settlement.

According to the Daily Beast report, the settlement is the largest in the history of the New York City Commission on Human Rights six-decade existence. The network was charged the maximum $250,000 penalty for four violations included in the settlement, according to the report.

Advertisement
{{}}