Fox News scored a legal victory 8/29, with U.S. District Court judge Richard J. Leon granting Fox’s request for a summary judgment, noting, “a reasonable jury couldn’t infer retaliation from the record.” The suit was filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of Fox reporter Catherine Herridge.
Herridge, who was granted a trial run as an anchor from 2006 to 2007, was sent back to her DC bureau reporter beat following the trial period, and the anchor position was eventually given to a man. Herridge alleged she had been demoted because of her gender and age (she was 43 at the time), and because she had lodged discrimination complaints there.
In one complaint, Herridge questioned why less desirable shifts were given to black and female correspondents. When Herridge and Fox began to negotiate her new contract in 2008, she claimed a draft of the new contract contained “retaliatory language.” However, her proposed new contract contained substantial pay raises for each year it covered.
Judge Leon granted Fox’s request for a summary judgment, noting, “the plaintiff’s claims must be dismissed.”
