By now many of our readers have probably seen the reports – many in national news columns – about the ongoing issues surrounding former Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly. O’Reilly has been at the center of a sexual harassment firestorm at the cable news network, one that recently resulted in his departure from Fox News.
Although O’Reilly has been connected to a number of past legal cases filed by other Fox News employees over that last several years, it does not appear that he is currently the subject of any legal filings. However, the fact that several reports have indicated that Fox News has settled five different sexual harassment-based claims that apparently stemmed from O’Reilly’s behavior seems to have been enough to force Fox News to finally face the facts about sexual harassment in their workplace.
A recent news article highlighted how O’Reilly’s trouble at Fox News is just the latest example of the ongoing culture in some workplaces to tolerate sexual harassment. A hostile working environment that includes sexually explicit materials in the workplace, lewd comments or unwanted sexual advances is not a place that most people want to find themselves working.
Fortunately, victims of harassment may have legal recourse under state and federal laws. As the recent troubles at Fox News – cable TV’s leading news network – show, unfortunately sexual harassment in the workplace persists as a serious problem in today’s society. When a worker is subjected to this type of behavior, it can be important to take action to make sure that others do not fall prey to the same issues.
Source: mprnews.org, “Fox News turmoil highlights workplace culture’s role in sexual harassment,” Yuki Noguchi, April 19, 2017
