A racial-discrimination lawsuit filed against Fox News continues to grow as two additional plaintiffs joined on to the now 6-week-old suit that was filed in Bronx Supreme Court in New York City against multiple defendants, including the network, parent company Twenty-First Century Fox, Fox News, Fox Business Executive Vice President Dianne Brandi, and former Senior Vice President and company Controller Judith Slater.
As USA Today reports, the suit now includes 13 former and current Fox employees who claim that the network engaged in “systemic discrimination based on race, ethnicity and national origin.”
The two new plaintiffs, Elizabeth Fernandez and Claudine McLeod, both worked in the accounts payable department. Fernandez left the department in 2014; McLeod, however,continues to work there.
Fox News is basically just out here grappling with a bevy of lawsuits and allegations. The network is still attempting to come back from an advertiser boycott that led it to dismiss former star host Bill O’Reilly after reports of sexual harassment were launched against him. And then, as USA Today notes, network Co-President Bill Shine—who had been mentioned in several lawsuits filed against the network for allegedly fostering such a toxic workplace culture—resigned last week.
Fernandez and McLeod both claim that they were “subjected to numerous discriminatory comments and conduct by [the former controller] Slater.”
Fernandez, who is Hispanic, said that when she was pregnant with her first son, Slater asked during a meeting “if she knew the sex of the baby and if she planned on having more kids because ‘Latinas like having a ton of kids.’”
McLeod, who is Panamanian and black, claims that Slater told her “you people are high maintenance,” in regards to heath insurance costs, and drive “up everyone’s ... premiums.”
“Fox News terminated Judy Slater before a single lawsuit or any amended complaint was filed,” the network said in a statement Monday, noting that Slater was terminated Feb. 28.
Slater’s attorney Catherine Foti said that the newest claims “are simply more baseless allegations.”
Read more at USA Today.
