Posted on 10/20/2004 7:01:58 AM PDT by Jenya
New Charges Filed Against Fox, O'Reilly
NEW YORK (AP) - A Fox News Channel producer who filed a sex harassment lawsuit against talk show host Bill O'Reilly filed new accusations Tuesday, alleging she has lost her job because she complained to Fox about her alleged mistreatment.
A lawyer for O'Reilly and Fox denied that Andrea Mackris has been fired or retaliated against in any way.
Mackris, 33, said that by Sept. 29 she had told top executives of News Corp. (NWS), parent company of the Fox News Channel, about the alleged harassment and hostile work environment to which she was subjected while working for O'Reilly's show, "The O'Reilly Factor."
Mackris, an associate producer on the show, says in court papers the executives told her a few days later to call in sick while they investigated her complaint. Since Oct. 5, when Mackris met with Fox lawyers, Fox officials have not discussed her job status with her, court papers say.
The amended lawsuit says Fox's "removal" of Mackris from her job "is in direct retaliation for her complaints of sexual harassment and a sexually hostile work environment at defendants Fox." It is a violation of New York law to fire an employee who complains of sexual harassment.
Mackris alleged in her lawsuit last week that O'Reilly, 55 and married with two children, subjected her repeatedly to off-color sexual remarks and telephone sex talk.
Ronald Green, a lawyer for O'Reilly and Fox, on Tuesday dismissed Mackris' complaints about her job status. "Fox is still paying her her full salary," he said.
However, Green added, last week Mackris inexplicably sent an e-mail to friends saying, "I'm no longer at Fox." He also said Mackris went to her office and removed her belongings without being asked to by anyone at Fox.
Green said O'Reilly "denies that he has done anything that rises to the level of unlawful sexual harassment."
Hours before Mackris' lawyer, Benedict Morelli, filed her lawsuit on Oct. 13, Green filed suit in Nassau County, where O'Reilly lives, accusing Mackris and Morelli of trying to extort $60 million from O'Reilly and Fox.
This is one confused broad, if she thinks continuing on the company's payroll is being fired.
Not good enough. Fox can roll the dice with a jury and lose big on O'Reilly. He really let them down, not to mention his wife and kids. His best defense is to register as a Democrat and come out in support of Kerry like Imus did. He could even get a job at CNN or with Al Franken.
What a waste and for what ?
A real piece of work this Andrea Mackris - anyone got a picture of her?
Mackris inexplicably sent an e-mail to friends saying, "I'm no longer at Fox." ......
Since she says she is no longer there Fox should stop paying her at once. Goldigger.
I disagree
Falafel makers will sue him next.
B.O. Reilly is a pervert and a liberal but then I repeat myself
This bimbo is an Edwards dream girl..sets ole Bill up...and hires a lawyer to make herself and her lawyer rich from Fox-O'reilly via lawsuit
They both belong on CNN
How is a company supposed to react when a female employee complains that her boss is pestering her? Say, "We'll investigate, now go back and maintain status quo."
It was appropriate to suggest she take sick leave with pay until they found a safer or more pleasant work envirronment for her, rather than send her back where retaliation might occur (or give her further opportunity to make such a claim), and where the workplace would be disrupted for everyone. They have a business to run.
Al Franken seems to be involved in this somewhere. CNN is lurking around the back door. This seems to be some sort of planned thing. I am not big on O'Reilly but this sure smells. The fact she left Fox and returned after discussing a book deal.
``Falafel makers will sue him next.``
Don't forget the vibrator companies. Makers of the 'The Bushmaster 5000Z' vibrator are threatening suite too.
You know, I don't know what to think. It may be that I'm just so mad at Bill O'Goods for trashing the Swifties and sticking up for Dan Rather's forged document story, that I want to believe he's capable of anything. Then again, if she (or her lawyers) have the tapes to prove it, as they claim...maybe I'm right.
I really dislike Bill O. But this whole thing doesn't pass the smell test now.
She's going for constructive discharge.
However, if Fox keeps paying her, and shows that it did what it could, under the circumstances, to accommodate her ability to stay on the job, she won't get it.
On the other hand, if she has the tapes for what she alleges BO said, BO, and maybe Fox (And maybe Westwood? Doesn't BO get part of his compensation from them?) will pay large.
Didn't she allege that O'Reilly "forced" her to engage in phone sex? How does anyone force someone else to engage in phone sex with them? Can't you just hang up the phone? If the party of the 2nd part keeps calling, you can unplug the phone, if need be. That is so strange.
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