Top executive at Fox Sports, Jamie Horowitz, was fired on Monday, about a week after investigations were launched at the company regarding its seemingly endless parade of sexual harassment complaints. Fox Sports is based in Los Angeles, so the virulent allegations plaguing the network are now bi-coastal.
The New York Times reports that there are no official claims against Horowitz, nor any recorded settlements in regards to cases of sexual harassment. Horowitz’s lawyer Patricia Glaser vehemently protested any insinuation that his termination is related to sexual harassment allegations:
“The way Jamie has been treated by Fox is appalling,” Glaser said in a statement. “At no point in his tenure was there any mention by his superiors or human resources of any misconduct, nor an inability to adhere to professional conduct. Jamie was hired by Fox to do a job, the job that until today he has performed in an exemplary fashion. Any slanderous accusations to the contrary will be vigorously defended.”
Horowitz was in charge of sports programming and had supposedly restructured the network in a way that rattled employees, from the start of his tenure in 2015. He fired a number of on-air reporters and lured several ESPN faces to become the “opinion-driven” face of the network. Horowitz was briefly hired in 2014 to run NBC’s Today, but was fired after three months into the job.
The L.A. Times reports that the independent law firm hired by Fox News to investigate the company had been interviewing women about Horowitz’s behavior. In an email to staff announcing Horowitz’s departure, Fox Sports President Eric Shanks wrote, “Everyone at FOX Sports, no matter what role we play, or what business, function or show we contribute to — should act with respect and adhere to professional conduct at all times,” adding, “These values are non-negotiable.”