Gretchen Carlson is not kidding around.
Exhibit A: She posted the full text of her sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News Channel
honcho Roger Ailes on her Web site for all to see and read.
Visitors to gretchencarlson.com will find an invitation prominently displayed on
her home page to link to the document and download it. Obviously, she wants this news out there.
And so far, she has gotten what she wants. The news broke on Wednesday -- the day she filed the
suit in a New Jersey Superior Court (Bergen County), where Ailes reportedly resides. Carlson, 50, a Minnesotan who won the Miss America Pageant in 1989, is suing Ailes over her dismissal from Fox News
on June 23. She had worked at FNC since 2005.
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She alleges that she was subject to a sustained period of “retaliation” orchestrated by Ailes, culminating in her termination, because
she rebuffed his sexual advances, according to her lawsuit.
The majority of the stories on Wednesday emphasized the portion of the lawsuit in which Carlson describes a conversation she
had with Ailes in his office last September.
“During that meeting,” the lawsuit reads, “Ailes stated to Carlson, ‘I think you and I should have had a sexual
relationship a long time ago and then you’d be good and better and I’d be good and better,’ adding that ‘sometimes problems are easier to solve’ that way.” The
wording seems to imply that the sexual advances were made some time previously.
Other aspects of the suit -- some just as salacious -- went underreported. One
passage that struck me was the one in which the lawsuit alleges that other “Fox News hosts [presumably female] did not complain about sexual harassment and rebuff his sexual
advances.”
The wording here makes it seem as if Carlson is implying that there are other women anchors and hosts at Fox News who didn’t say no -- and, on the contrary, said
yes -- when Ailes (allegedly) requested that they have sex with him. If that’s the meaning here, then who might these people be? The lawsuit doesn’t say.
The lawsuit goes on to
detail other allegedly sexist behaviors and statements attributed to Ailes. A whole list of them can be found beginning with the paragraph numbered “20” followed by items “a”
through “l,” including a claim the lawsuit says Ailes made within earshot of Carlson “that he had 'slept' with three former Miss Americas but not with her.”
Another one
of these relates how Ailes boasted to other attendees at an unspecified “event” that he likes it when women “bend over” to greet him. Here’s the text of this claim from
the lawsuit: “Boasting to other attendees (at an event where Carlson walked over to greet him) that he always stays seated when a woman walks over to him so she has to 'bend over' to say
hello.”
Neither Fox News Channel nor its parent company, 21st Century Fox, were named in the suit. Nevertheless, the parent company issued a statement late Wednesday. “The Company
has seen the allegations against Mr. Ailes and Mr. Doocy,” the statement said. “ We take these matters seriously. While we have full confidence in Mr. Ailes and Mr. Doocy, who have served
the company brilliantly for over two decades, we have commenced an internal review of the matter.”
“Mr. Doocy” is Steve Doocy, the long-time co-host of the Fox News Channel
morning show, “Fox & Friends,” who Carlson accuses of treating her in a sexually discriminatory manner when she was co-host of the show. She is not suing Doocy, however. He is included
in the lawsuit document apparently to help bolster her contention that Ailes fostered -- and knowingly tolerated -- a sexist working environment at FNC.
In a separate statement from Ailes, the FNC chairman and CEO denied the allegations and promised to fight
back. Reading between the lines of Ailes’ statement, you sense the possibility that he is considering filing a countersuit alleging that Carlson’s suit is
“defamatory.”
“Gretchen Carlson’s allegations are false,” the statement said.
“This is a retaliatory suit for the network’s decision not to renew her contract, which was due to the fact that her disappointingly low ratings were dragging down the afternoon lineup.
When Fox News did not commence any negotiations to renew her contract, Ms. Carlson became aware that her career with the network was likely over and conveniently began to pursue a lawsuit.
“Ironically, Fox News provided her with more on-air opportunities over her 11 year tenure than any other employer in the
industry, for which she thanked me in her recent book. This defamatory lawsuit is not only offensive, it is wholly without merit and will be defended vigorously.”