Fox News Agreed To $15 Million Settlement With Ex-anchor Over Gender Pay Gap: Report
Melissa Francis submitted a different grievance with the New York Point out Labor Department, which is even now pending. (Photograph: Robin Marchant by way of Getty Pictures)
Fox Information reportedly agreed to fork out previous anchor Melissa Francis around $15 million to settle a dispute in excess of her claims of a gender pay out hole at the network, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Submit.
Francis had submitted a independent criticism with the New York Point out Labor Department final 12 months, arguing the conservative outlet retaliated from her after she introduced up proof of male hosts remaining compensated much more than their feminine counterparts, in accordance to the Everyday Beast.
Kevin Mintzer, Melissa Francis’ attorney, declined remark on the information of the settlement, but shared with HuffPost Francis’ commitment at the rear of submitting the criticism.
“Melissa submitted her cost with the Department of Labor not for herself but for the ladies of the corporation who are continue to there,” Mintzer told HuffPost. “Contrary to Fox News’ false promises about a ‘new period,’ what occurred to Melissa displays that sexism and retaliation are even now conventional exercise at the enterprise. We proceed to cooperate with the Section of Labor, and we search forward to getting the findings of their investigation.”
Fox News carries on to deny her allegations.
“We parted ways with Melissa Francis above a 12 months and a 50 % back and her allegations have been fully with out merit,” a Fox Information spokesperson told HuffPost. “We have also entirely cooperated with the New York Point out Department of Labor’s investigation and glance ahead to the completion of this issue.”
The spokesperson claimed the company has undergone “a in depth overhaul of its entire place of work lifestyle — together with tripling the sizing of its HR section, selling more ladies in the government ranks, elevating girls in on-air host positions” and other initiatives.
Francis climbed the ranks at Fox, initially joining Fox Small business as an anchor in 2012, owning previously lined business enterprise news for CNBC. She also created normal appearances on Fox Information. 5 a long time later on, Francis was hired by Fox News to co-host “Outnumbered” and ongoing to co-anchor a display on Fox Small business. Francis was also a normal contributor on Tucker Carlson’s prime-time demonstrate. But in November 2020, she handed in her resignation.
Francis spoke to the Post about how she found the gender pay back hole she alleges at the network, the situations primary up to her resignation and her conclusion to file a grievance from her previous employer.
The former host mentioned she did not get a major wage enhance when she grew to become a everlasting co-host on “Outnumbered,” professing she was paid a lot less than $1 million, which she suspected was fewer than other hosts have been creating at the community.
This prompted her to compile a spreadsheet of anchors’ salaries at the network, trying to find info from former colleagues and agents. A obvious pattern emerged displaying male anchors ended up earning a lot more than females in related roles.
When Francis was passed above for a wage raise as section of her new agreement negotiation in November 2019, she introduced up the information she had compiled.
Francis explained she was fulfilled with a blunt evaluation.
“That’s how the earth works. Women of all ages make significantly less. It’s just a reality,” Francis recounted Fox Information government Dianne Brandi telling her. A Fox Information spokesperson denied the allegation as “untrue and patently absurd.”
Two months afterwards, Francis’ attorney reached out to the community with a formal ask for to get data on how significantly other anchors have been generating, which the network did not grant.
In August 2020, Francis entered arbitration to settle the dispute, with the arbitrator environment a deadline of Oct. 7, 2020, for the network to share the data with Francis’ law firm.
When that day arrived all-around, Francis said she was all set to go on air when a information popped up on her teleprompter looking through: “You’ve been canceled.”
Francis did not appear on the channel once again.
Study the full Washington Write-up story.
This posting at first appeared on HuffPost and has been up-to-date.