Thomas Colson

August 3, 2021

-Yahoo News

 

Fox News has “parted ways” with legal analyst Andrew Napolitano after a producer at the network accused him of sexual harassment.

Producer John Fawcett, who works on Larry Kudlow’s show on Fox Business Network, alleged in a discrimination lawsuit that Napolitano had stroked his arm and made a sexually suggestive comment while they were sharing an elevator.

Napolitano had worked as a legal commentator at Fox News for more than two decades, AP News reported, and he emerged as a firm critic of Donald Trump at a network know for backing the former president. Before that he was a judge in the New Jersey court system.

The lawsuit, which was filed at the state Supreme Court in Manhattan, said, per DailyMail.com: “Even though the two had never met previously, Judge Napolitano stood awkwardly close to the plaintiff, started stroking his arm, and asked who the plaintiff worked for.”

The lawsuit alleged that Napolitano sexually harassed “numerous young male employees” at Fox.

Fox News said Monday in a statement cited by The Daily Beast and other outlets: “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.

“The network and Judge 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.”

Fox dismissed other allegations made in the lawsuit, including that Fawcett overheard Kudlow using racial slurs and making inappropriate sexual comments in front of colleagues.

One of the allegations was that Kudlow said that he would like to have a “three-way” with Fox News anchor Sandra Smith, DailyMail.com reported.

A Fox News spokesperson said: “The additional allegations laid out in this claim 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.”

Insider contacted Fox News for additional comment.

c. YAHOO NEWS