New York Employment Attorney Blog
A lawsuit filed by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) on September 30th, in federal court, alleges that Fox News retaliated against reporter Catherine Herridge, who had previously complained of sex and age discrimination at the cable news network.
Among other things, it appears that following her complaints about discriminatiion, and when her contract was being considered for renewal, Fox News included a provision barring her from asserting any further complaints of discrimination. Ms. Herridge filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC, which determined that the provision itself was retaliatory and violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended.
An employer is prohibited from engaging in unlawful retalation, which entails taking adverse actions against any employee or individual for engaging in “protected activity” under federal, New York State, and New York City law. Adverse actions include, but are not limited to termination, demotion, refusal to hire, or any other action which has the effect of deterring individuals from reporting discriminatory conduct or otherwise engaging in protected activity under the anti-discrimination laws.