by Thinus Ferreira
The American channel Fox News (StarSat 261) has fired Andrew Napolitano after a male producer (27) has accused him of stroking his arm in an elevator while making sexually suggestive comments.
According to American media reports, John Fawcett, who works on another show on the FOX Business Network with presenter Larry Kudlow, is suing the company and claims that he was sexually harassed by judge Andrew Napolitano who he claims stroked his arm and made suggestive comments while they were on an elevator together.
John Fawcett also claims in his lawsuit that "'sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and racial discrimination are still tolerated at Fox".
FOX News fired Andrew Napolitano on Monday.
"Upon first learning of John Fawcett's allegations against Judge Andrew Napolitano, FOX News Media immediately investigated the claims and addressed the matter with both parties," FOX News says in a statement.
"The network and Andrew Napolitano have since parted ways. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously, are committed to providing a safe, transparent, and collaborative workplace environment for all our employees and took immediate, appropriate action."
John Fawcett started working at FOX News in March 2019.
In the filing of his lawsuit he claims that Andrew Napolitano was with him in an elevator in 2020 when Andrew Napolitano stroked his arm and made sexually suggestive comments.
"You see these hands? They look clean, but they get really dirty,' Andrew Napolitano allegedly said to John Fawcett who tried to extract him from the conversation and elevator ride with Andrew Napolitano who continued to invite John Fawcett to his New York apartment and New Jersey farm.
When John Fawcett reached his office, he told his co-workers who then laughed.
"It was common knowledge that Andrew Napolitano sexually harassed young men at FOX News, and it had even happened to one of the plaintiff's co-workers," the lawsuit states.
A 'zero tolerance' policy for sexual misconduct preached by Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott is 'a fraud,' Fawcett says.
"Sexual harassment, sex discrimination and racial discrimination are still tolerated at FOX and Suzanne Scott and her executive team will bend over backwards to protect such behaviour," the lawsuit states.
FOX News says that the additional allegations in John Fawcett's lawsuit are "completely baseless and nothing more than a desperate attempt at a payday by trying the case in the court of public opinion as the complaint does not meet the standards of the law. We will defend the matter vigorously in court".
