Fox News Denies Gender Discrimination Claims Amid Diana Falzone Lawsuit
June 27 2017, Updated 10:41 a.m. ET
Fox News has denied claims that they banned host Diana Falzone from the network due to her infertility reveal, RadarOnline.com has learned.
"By imposing a lifetime on-air ban on Falzone, Fox News treated her differently than it treated her male counterparts who openly discussed their personal health issues on air and in op-eds," states a complaint filed by the reporter in May.
As RadarOnline.com reported, Fox News producer Justin Craig, announced – during a meeting held in Falzone's absence – that the longtime host would no longer appear on air in any Fox News programs. He gave no reason for this action, thus leaving employees with the false impression that Falzone had done something terribly wrong.
"Fox News knowingly violated the NYCHRI., based on the conduct alleged herein by engaging in intentional discrimination with malice or reckless indifference to Falzone's protected rights," says a court document.
The once called "face of Fox News" was later approached by several of her coworkers who hinted that she must have done very bad things in order to have given a lifetime ban from the network.
"Falzone was fully qualified for the position that she held at Fox News, and had performed her job responsibilities to a high standard, prior to her unlawful demotion," states the document.
The former host sued for gender and disability discrimination seeking unspecified compensatory damages for back and future loss of wages, humiliation, mental anguish, stress, pain, suffering and damage to her reputation and career.
On June 23rd, however, Fox News headed to court blasting Falzone's allegations of discrimination and denying all allegations of wrongdoing.
They claimed the host never experienced any discrimination during her time with Fox News and that all actions taken against her were for legitimate, non-discriminatory and non-retaliatory business reasons.
Fox News has now accused Falzone of filing the lawsuit in bad faith, claiming that they have always maintained an equal employment, affirmative action, harassment-free where all personnel decisions are to be made on merit without regard to gender, disability or any other basis protected by law. The network claims she failed to take advantage of the resources they provided her and the only damage has been that brought by Falzone's own actions. The network has demanded the entire lawsuit be tossed and their ex-employee be ordered to cover her own legal bills.
As RadarOnline.com can report, on January 24, 2017, Falzone wrote an op-ed piece for FoxNews.com in which she discussed her battle with endometriosis in hopes of helping and inspiring other women who are affected by the terrible condition. She also revealed that she was infertile due to the illness.
She had obtained the approval of her supervisors, Refet Kaplan and Chris Kessler before writing the article that soon went viral.
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Her expulsion from the network then came as an unwanted surprise, since as court documents state: in 2016 Falzone's "reports on Foxnews.com were viewed/visited more than 65 million times -- more online visits than Bill O'Reilly, Megyn Kelly or Sean Hannity."
Stay with RadarOnline.com for the latest updates on the case.
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