When word got out that Fox News had paid millions in settlements to women who claimed Bill O’Reilly harassed them, the fair and balanced network initially circled the wagons. However, that changed when the attorney for several of the accusers, Lisa Bloom, revealed that she had asked the New York State Division of Human Rights to look into the workplace culture at 1211 Avenue of the Americas.
Within 48 hours of that announcement, O’Reilly’s vacation became permanent. Two weeks later, the network’s operating head, Bill Shine, was pushed out as well, though the ground began shifting under his feet soon after O’Reilly’s ouster. Shine had been under fire for allegedly helping sweep harassment allegations against O’Reilly and network founder Roger Ailes under the rug.
Apparently the Murdochs thought getting rid of O’Reilly and Shine would be enough to keep the wolves from the door. If so, they thought wrong. On Monday, the SDHR opened a formal investigation into allegations that women were not only harassed, but faced retaliation for speaking out.
Bloom announced the news on Twitter.
BREAKING: I've just learned NY SDHR is investigating our complaint of harassment and discrimination at Fox News. https://t.co/1hQy7QcR9W
— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) June 19, 2017
Bloom had asked the SDHR to investigate Fox News on April 11. She told Think Progress that she felt compelled to do so due to what she described as “the worst corporate culture I’ve heard of in 30 years as a civil rights attorney.”
Bloom’s complaint spells out 13 years’ worth of allegations from “dozens of women” that they were sexually harassed and faced retaliation when they came forward. She also accuses Fox News of paying accusers to “remain silent and leave the company.” Several others have been scared into silence by Fox News’ “well-documented intimidation tactics.” As we know, one of the accusers, former Fox News contributor Andrea Tantaros, contends that those tactics cross the line into outright criminal harassment.
Bloom claims that the harassers and those covering for them still keep their jobs while of the accusers have been effectively blackballed from the television news industry. Many of them can’t file complaints on their own behalf, either because of confidentiality agreements or statutes of limitations.
Based on past experience, Bloom believes that when all is said and done, Fox News will likely have to sign a sweeping consent decree with the SDHR that will require the network to improve its grievance and compliance procedures. The Murdochs could also have to regularly report back to the SDHR to prove that they are holding up their end of the bargain, possibly on a monthly basis. From her experience dealing with such complaints, Bloom says the entire process is “pretty intrusive” for an employer.
Simply put, this investigation is long overdue. The Murdochs made a lot of big talk about cleaning up the culture at Fox News after Ailes was given a resign-or-be-fired ultimatum last July. So far, that has been mostly talk. After Ailes resigned, Shine, who had been Ailes’ right-hand man since 2012, took over as head of news and programming. When Shine left in May, another Ailes-era holdover, Suzanne Scott, took over his former duties.
So far, it looks like Fox News has only made cosmetic changes to clean up its reputation. Now it looks like the Murdochs will have no choice but to put actions behind their words of last summer.
(featured image courtesy Jim.henderson, part of public domain)
