In the suit, Eckhart alleges Henry, who had been an anchor on Americas Newsroom, the networks mid-morning news program, groomed, psychologically manipulated and coerced Ms. Eckhart into having a sexual relationship with him, and that, when she would not comply voluntarily, he sexually assaulted her on office property, and raped her at a hotel where Fox News frequently lodged its visiting employees. The suit says Eckhart was the one who contacted Fox News on June 25, and notified the company she had retained legal counsel regarding her claims against Henry. The company has "worked tirelessly" under Scott'sleadership "to transform the company culture, implementing annual, mandatory in-person harassment prevention training, creating an entirely new reporting structure, more than tripling the size of our HR footprint, conducting quarterly company meetings and mentoring events, as well as executing a zero tolerance policy regarding workplace misconduct for which we engage outside independent firms to handle investigations," the statement said. Ed Henry, who was fired last Julyby Fox News Channelover a sexual misconduct allegation, filed multiple lawsuits this weekfor defamation,including one against NPR and CNNcorrespondents and anotheragainst Fox News and its CEO Suzanne Scott. It had not.. ", In a statement Foti said: "The Me Too movement has helped to bring to light a number of injustices in our society, and everyone that has suffered deserves to be heard. Being targeted again by Douglas Wigdors law firm, well known for its pursuit of sexual misconduct cases, is an uncomfortable rerun for Fox. That evidence includes graphic photos and other aggressively suggestive communications that Ms. Eckhart sent to Mr. Henry.. Gutting IRS Will Help Wealthy Avoid More Taxes | Opinion, Eliminating Income Tax Means More Money for Americans | Opinion. Ed Henry looks forward to presenting actual facts and evidence, which will contradict the fictional accounts contained in the complaint. Based on the findings of a comprehensive independent investigation conducted by an outside law firm, including interviews with numerous eyewitnesses, we have determined that all of Cathy Areus claims against Fox News, including its management as well as its hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity & Howard Kurtz are false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit," the network said in a statement to USA TODAY. It says that Fox News was notified on June 25 that Eckhart retained legal counsel in connection with allegations of assault and rape against Henry. You will know when Im done.. Henry was terminated on July 1 after Fox News received a complaint on June 25 from a former employee about Henrys behavior from years ago, according to a statement made in July by Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and President Jay Wallace. When she instead invited him to dinner with her and a friend, he declined, she said. After Ailes depature, Bill OReilly, once the linchpin of Foxs primetime schedule, was pushed out in 2017 after facing allegations of harassment. Henrys lawyer, Catherine Foti, said Monday that her clients accuser, Jennifer Eckhart, initiated and encouraged a sexual relationship. A federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges ex-Fox News host Ed Henry raped a woman he had groomed and coerced into having a sexual relationship when she did not comply voluntarily. The lawsuit, some of it so graphic that it includesa "trigger warning" notice, was filedin federal civil court in the Southern District of New York. "We remain confident that vaccination is the most powerful tool we all have against the COVID-19 pandemic," the statement read. In a statement, Eckhart said: "My decision to speak out was not an easy one, but I refuse to let fear of retaliation, victim shaming and further attacks intimidate me into remaining silent.". Ed Henry looks forward to presenting actual facts and evidence, which will contradict the fictional accounts contained in the complaint. This is not one of those cases," the statement said. In a statement obtained by The Metro Times, Henry Ford Hospital defended its stance on the vaccine. Vaccine hesitancy is surging again, regardless of the science, George Santos gets two committee assignments, The eight Senate seats most likely to flip in 2024, Watch live: White House monkeypox response team holds briefing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Carlson is already in hot water after his top writer resigned earlier this month when it was revealed he had for years posted bigoted content on online message boards under a pseudonym. There were not sexual harassment claims against Ed Henry at FOX News prior to Jennifer Eckharts claim on June 25, 2020, a Fox spokesperson replied in a statement. This is not one of those cases, said Catherine Foti, an attorney for Henry. Fox said there were no sexual harassment claims against Henry until they learned about Eckharts allegations last month. Foti said Henry had received graphic photos and suggestive messages from Eckhart. Eckharts counsel described to Fox News, in graphic and specific detail, how Mr. Henry groomed, psychologically manipulated and coerced Ms. Eckhart into having a sexual relationship with him, and that, when she would not comply voluntarily, he sexually assaulted her on office property, and raped her at a hotel where Fox News frequently lodged its visiting employees, thereby facilitating, whether knowingly or unknowingly, Mr. Henrys conduct, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit said that Fox knew that Henry who took a four-month leave of absence in 2016 following published reports of his affair with a Las Vegas cocktail waitress had engaged in sexual misconduct as far back as 2017. Ms. Areu and Jennifer Eckhart can pursue their claims against Ed Henry directly with him, as FOX News already took swift action as soon as it learned of Ms. Eckharts claims on June 25 and Mr. Henry is no longer employed by the network., In response, Willemin wrote in a statement, It is outrageous and contrary to common sense that Fox News purports not to take responsibility for his actions. Mrs. Cox wrote a manuscript about their experience and sent it to several agents and publishers in the late 1980s, but it was always returned, the lawsuit says. She accuses Hannity (she was a relative regular on his show until March 8, 2018) of humiliating her on set by throwing $100 on the desk and calling out to men in the room to take her on a date for drinks at a bar. One of the plaintiffs, Jennifer Eckhart, alleged she was assaulted by Henry, while the other, Cathy Areu, claimed in the filing that Henry sent her sexually graphic photos and messages. This story was updated on July 22 to include a later statement on Monday from Fox News. On one occasion, he told her to remove her underwear and deliver it to him in an envelope. White House rips appointment of extreme MAGA members to House Oversight panel, Trump trounces DeSantis in potential GOP primary match-up, new poll finds, McCarthy goes on attack against red-state Senate Democrats, White House charges GOP with hypocrisy on Trump, Biden. DeSantis To Run In 2024Its The Latest Sign Trump Is Losing Battleground States, Twitters Money Problems Deepen: Revenues Reportedly Plummet As Major Advertisers Jump Ship After Musks Takeover, Nursing Homes Face Federal Audit For Alleged Overuse Of Antipsychotic Drugs, George Santos Accused Of Pocketing Money Raised To Save Disabled Veterans Dying Service Dog. According to the complaint, Henry also sent numerous texts suggesting that she have sex with him. Over 50 Michigan health care workers have filed a lawsuit with their employer, stating that the COVID-19 vaccine is an infringement upon their human rights. Based on the findings of a comprehensive independent investigation conducted by an outside law firm, including interviews with numerous eyewitnesses, we have determined that all of Cathy Areus claims against FOX News, including its management as well as its hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity & Howard Kurtz and its contributor Gianno Caldwell, are false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit, Fox News said in a statement. Mr. I currently have another lawsuit in the courts, after Illinois federal judges have ignored every other lawsuit I've filed! Mrs. Cox said she doubts he would have had enough life experiences at that age to write the story in such a short time. That evidence includes graphic photos and other aggressively suggestive communications that Ms. Eckhart sent to Mr. Henry., Henry shared his attorney'sstatement on TwitterMonday, adding, "I will fight with every fiber of my being.". In a statement to Forbes, Fox News claimed that, following an independent investigation, all the allegations levied at Hannity, Carlson, Kurtz and Caldwell are false, patently frivolous and utterly devoid of any merit and that the network would fight the lawsuit. ", Fox News, in its statement, insisted that the network takes "all claims of harassment, misconduct and retaliation seriously, promptly investigating them and taking immediate action as needed in this case, the appropriate action based on our investigation is to defend vigorously against these baseless allegations.". As of Tuesday, nearly 92 percent of Henry Ford employees have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. As if this were not already obvious enough, shortly after this, Mr. Kurtz stated to Ms. Areu, in sum and substance, youre the only woman here who wont come to my hotel room. Ms. Areu has only appeared approximately three times on Media Buzz following her rejection of Mr. Kurtzs advances.. Ms. Areu awkwardly sidestepped Mr. Carlsons advances and declined to spend the night at his hotel. The lawsuit alleges that Henry, approximately twice Eckharts age, had preyed upon, manipulated and groomed Eckhart since she was 24. The complaint filed on Monday graphically presents multiple allegations of sexual abuse suffered by Jennifer Eckhart, a former associate producer at Fox Business, who said that Henry suggested he could help advance her career in exchange for sex. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Nevertheless, Fox News would have the public believe that it is a different place from the Fox News that was run by former disgraced Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. Her allegations werent made public when Henry was fired. In other words, a significant part of this investigators time is spent defending companies like Fox News against allegations such as the ones brought herein. Areu, who was a regular guest on The Sean Hannity Show and Tucker Carlson Tonight until 2018, also accused host Sean Hannity of conducting a mock dating auction with her as the prize. Fox News would have the public believe that it is a different place from the Fox News that was run by Ailes, the lawsuit said. 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The lawsuit, filed by Douglas Wigdor and Michael Willemin on behalf of Jennifer Eckhart and Cathy Areu, also alleges Fox News supported and promoted Henry after receiving complaints of sexually inappropriate behavior and only fired him earlier this month because they were aware of an impending lawsuit. It also alleges that Carlson in December 2018 told Areu he would be alone in New York City that night in a hotel room without his wife or kids. The lawsuit also claims sexual advances by Carlson, Kurtz and Caldwell that Areu spurned, which the suit alleges led the hosts to cut down on her appearances on their shows. Henrys attorney Catherine Foti denied the allegations against Henry. Fox said Eckharts case is with Henry, since the network moved swiftly to fire him. He repeatedly yelled who wants to take her on a date? Take her on a date to Del Friscos. Ms. Areu was completely mortified and made clear that she was incredibly uncomfortable with Mr. Hannitys misogynistic behavior by quietly pleading with one of her friends in the room to accept the money so that the humiliation would end., The complaint continued: To make matters worse, Ms. Areu was stuck and could not even leave because Mr. Hannity engaged in this conduct while she was hooked into studio equipment that could only have been removed by a stagehand., During a December 2018 appearance on Tucker Carlsons show, meanwhile, the host demanded that Areu stay on the set after her segment and then, according to the lawsuit, hardly making any effort to hide his intentions, began telling Ms. Areu that he would be alone in New York City that night, and specifically said that he would be staying alone in his hotel room without any wife or kids., The complaint continued: Without question, Mr. Carlson was probing to see whether Ms. Areu was interested in a sexual relationship. Minutes into the film, I was so upset, Mrs. Cox said. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages. "Wetake all claims of harassment, misconduct and retaliation seriously, promptly investigating them and taking immediate action as needed in this case, the appropriate action based on our investigation is to defend vigorously against these baseless allegations. "The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Ms. Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship. The lawsuit on behalf of John and Joan Cox was filed this week in federal court in New York City. Like him, I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (and 5 week coma) from a car accident, instead of a bullet! The evidence in this case will demonstrate that Ms. Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship. 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