On Monday, Fox News contributor Julie Roginsky filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court alleging that former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes sexually harassed her. Roginsky joins a number of former Fox contributors, including Gretchen Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Andrea Tantaros, and Laurie Duhe, who have accused Ailes of sexual harassment in the last year.
The suit comes days after the New York Times reported that Fox News settled a series of sexual harassment allegations against anchor Bill O’Reilly for $13 million, and nine months after Ailes was ousted as CEO.
According to the complaint, Ailes made sexually inappropriate comments to Roginsky, including calling her attractive, asking why she was single, advising that she pursue “older, married, conservative men,” and insisting that Roginsky kiss him at meetings.
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After Roginsky rejected Ailes’s offer to drink “privately in my office” on April 27, 2015, Ailes “refused to meet with with Roginsky ever again,” the complaint states.
Roginsky says Ailes and Fox News then retaliated against her by taking her out of regular rotation on The Five, refusing to give her hosting duties despite being well-qualified, and ostracizing her.
After Ailes’s departure, Roginsky expected company leadership to address the culture of sexual harassment and retaliation. However, she accuses several executives, including Fox News co-president Bill Shine, of ignoring her concerns, failing to investigate the claims, and retaliating against her by continuing to deny her hosting opportunities.
Ailes has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. His attorney, Susan Estrich, released the following statement to Jezebel, calling Roginsky’s account “total hogwash”:
Julie Roginsky’s description of meetings that she supposedly had with Roger Ailes are total hogwash. Mr. Ailes vociferously denies her allegations. Mr. Ailes vociferously denies her allegations.
Her interactions with Mr. Ailes were not even close to the fictional version she wants people to believe now.
The idea that Mr. Ailes would pressure Ms. Roginsky or any other women to have sexual relations with him is total nonsense.
In short, this copycat complaint is not about discrimination or retaliation. This is about someone who wants to pile-on in a massive character assassination in order to achieve what she did not accomplish on the merits.
Neither Fox News nor 21st Century Fox, its parent company, responded to requests for comment.
Read the full complaint below: