Fair, Balanced & Horny Fox News settles sexual harassment suit for $225K

[Human Torch]

Fox agrees to settle sexual harassment lawsuit in NY

By Christine Kearney 2 hours, 31 minutes ago



NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fox News has agreed to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, on behalf of former female employees who said a vice president routinely cursed and denigrated women in the workplace.

The settlement, submitted for approval in Manhattan federal court on Monday, includes a total payout of $225,000 to four women who said Joe Chillemi, vice president in the advertising and promotions department, created a hostile work environment.

A spokeswoman for Fox News said: "We have denied the claims and allegations in the action and subsequent settlement. Do the math. This is hardly a win for the EEOC." The women alleged Chillemi used demeaning words to describe women, including women who were pregnant.

The case and settlement showed recognition of harassment in the workplace "beyond coming onto women," EEOC attorney Michael Ranis said. "In this case there was hostility toward women by using language and sexual imagery, which is just as important as the more well-known types of sexual harassment," Ranis said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060731/tv_nm/crime_fox_dc_1

[OwnedByFerrets]

1. If this isnt a win,

just what do you call a loss......Iraq?:puke:

[rpannier]

3. Making progress

We are always making ptogress in Iraq.

[thepurpose]

2. Fair and sexually seems to have a lot these lawsuits.

[ellenfl]

4. separated at birth?

http://www.shenanigansharpei.com/gallery.php?pageNum_Recordset1=11&totalRows_Recordset1=27

ellen fl

[erknm]

5. I hate to agree with Fox News, but , ,

it had to have been a weak case for the plaintiffs to accept only $225,000. $225,000 is an amount of money that a well represented plaintiff with a strong case against deep pockets would not accept. Alternatively, $225,000 is the type of settlement that a company in the public eye would pay just to stop the case and save on future legal costs. This is not the type of case that Fox would have handled with their in-house legal staff, so the bills had to be getting high. Figure about $700 per hour for a lead and two junior attorneys, and you will hit the $225,000 in just eight weeks of work.

I get suspicious when I hear about small settlements because they smack of nuisance lawsuits.

All of this does not mean that the accusations are not accurate, just that it sounds like it was a case that was not worth much.

FH