Former Fox News anchor Ed Henry accused of sexually assaulting another colleague

Journalist Ed Henrydeposed Fox News host accused of rape in 2020faces additional sexual harassment allegations.

Jennifer Eckhart, a former associate producer at Fox Business whose allegations against Eckhart led to his firing in July 2020, filed a new motion last week as part of an ongoing legal battle with the news network. Henry denied Eckhart’s claims of assault, arguing that the sexual intercourse was consensual.

In Eckhart’s Monday motion, her lawyer Michael J. Willemin alleges that Henry sexually assaulted another female colleague while working at the news station. Willemin also claims that various Fox News employees were made aware of Henry’s alleged behavior at the time.

“Fox News reported that it only learned of the new assault allegation during the legal proceedings and that no employee warned management that Henry had engaged in sexual harassment while employed at Fox,” the network said in a statement to USA TODAY on Wednesday.

In September, Fox News sought summary judgment in the case – an order waiving the lawsuit – and said it immediately responded to Eckhart’s allegations by suspending Henry and opening an investigation.

In a statement, Fox News said Eckhart and her lawyers were “desperately trying to salvage her case,” adding that the network was “not aware of any connection between Ms. Eckhart and Mr. Henry or any allegations of unwanted sexual activity by Mr. Henry.” . Henry until she left the company.”

“Fox News’ efforts to keep its head in the sand will not be rewarded. “After many years of failing to protect its employees from sexual harassers and attackers, we look forward to holding Fox News accountable for Ms. Eckhart’s harm before a jury of her peers,” Willemin said in an emailed statement Wednesday. to USA TODAY.

Background: Ed Henry charged with rape in civil lawsuit that also targets Fox News, Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson

Attorney: Fox News knew Ed Henry ‘was a threat to colleagues’

In the latest filing, Willemin accused Fox of failing to investigate allegations of assault writing. “None of these allegations have ever been meaningfully investigated.”

In an earlier memo, Willemin responded to Fox’s decision to avoid a trial by stating that Henry wants the court to “resolve disputed issues of fact that should be assigned to a jury.”

Previous incidents cited in the new filing include Henry’s alleged affair with a Las Vegas stripper in May 2016 and subsequent treatment for sex addiction; using a Fox News-issued device to participate in a “sex-related incident”; and engaging in inappropriate “sexual relations” with another unnamed co-worker.

Fox News “knew he was a risk to his colleagues, staff and subordinates,” the filing says, with Willemin noting that Henry was suspended in connection with the 2016 scandal.

However, the network “welcomed him back with open arms, rewarded him with a drastic contract extension, increased his pay… by promoting him to the highly coveted position of anchor and continuing to enable and turn a blind eye to his actions, effectively tolerating his behavior as red flags mounted,” complaints and warning signs,” Willemin said in his filing.

Eckhart’s most recent complaint alleges that Henry sexually assaulted another Fox News employee shortly after he returned to the network around 2017. As part of Eckhart’s case, an anonymous female employee provided sworn testimony about the alleged assault.

“Fox News’ treatment of Mr. Henry upon his return to the network only emboldened him as he escalated his abuse of women, not only by raping Ms. Eckhart but also by sexually assaulting another Fox News colleague,” Willemin argued.

Fox pointed to another recent statement by Eckhart that she did not tell anyone at Fox about her encounters with Henry until she was fired in 2020 and that Henry tried to hide the relationship from the network.

In a telephone interview with USA TODAY, Willemin said that while it is true that Eckhart did not specifically mention Henry’s name, she did mention a toxic work culture in the HR interview but was immediately hung up on.

Eckhart’s attorney also argued briefly: “Ms. Eckhart feared that any disclosure by her would reach Mr. Henry, who has power and influence at Fox News and could result in her firing.”

Ed Henry sued for alleged rape after being fired from Fox News

Henry, who co-founded “America’s Newsroom,” was fired from Fox News after the news station reported that on June 25, 2020, it received a complaint from a former employee’s attorney regarding “intentional sexual misconduct in the workplace many years ago.” .

Next month, Eckhart and guest news analyst Cathy Areu filed a lawsuit against Henry, alleging a litany of sexual misconduct, from sexual harassment to forced oral sex. The complaint also revealed that Eckhart was the anonymous accuser whose allegations against Henry led to his firing from Fox.

Eckhart claimed in the lawsuit that Henry raped her and “left her injured, bruised and battered with bloody wrists” in a New York hotel room “sometime in 2017” and that Fox executives were informed “in a graphic and detailed manner” of her claim .

Ed Henry Takes Legal Action: Fired Fox News host sues NPR and CNN correspondents for defamation

The lawsuit also said Fox executives knew Henry had been accused of sexual misconduct long before Eckhart’s first complaint was filed. “Mr. Henry was not fired after Fox News learned of these complaints. According to the information and findings, he was not even disciplined,” we read in the notification.

Henry, in a statement to USA TODAY released through his attorney Catherine Foti, denied Eckhart’s sexual abuse claims at the time. The television journalist claimed that Eckhart “initiated a consensual relationship and encouraged it entirely.”

“The #MeToo movement has helped expose a range of injustices in our society, and every person who has suffered deserves to be heard,” the statement read. “This is not one of those cases.”

Contributor: Maria Puente, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ed Henry Lawsuit: Fox News Alum Accused of Additional Sexual Assault