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Fox News facing lawsuit following claims of sexual misconduct by numerous top employees

An ex-Fox News correspondent is at the centre of an emerging scandal after he was accused of sexual misconduct by two female staff members.

On Monday a federal lawsuit was filed against the channel for the failure of management to address claims related to former chief national correspondent, Ed Henry, as well as numerous other prominent employees.

fox news, ed henry, jennifer eckhart, Cathy Areau

A massive federal lawsuit has been filed against Fox News following allegations of sexual misconduct by top talent from two female former employees.

Two former female employees of Fox News have come forward and accused Henry of sexual assault and rape. Henry was fired from the company earlier this month after the allegations first arose.

In one case, former employee Jennifer Eckhart has alleged that Henry groomed her at the age of 24, requesting that she be his “sex slave” and threatening her if she refused to agree. Eckhart claims that she was restrained and sexually assaulted by Henry at a hotel frequently used by the channel.

Taking to Twitter, Eckhart described: “I am hopeful that my decision to file this action will result in positive change for women at Fox, and for all victims in the workplace.”

According to The Guardian, Henry’s defence will reportedly rest on the fact that Eckhart “initiated…and encouraged a consensual relationship.”

In the second case, former employee Cathy Areu has alleged that she was assaulted by numerous prominent personalities at the company, including Henry, as well as anchor Sean Hannity, host Tucker Carlson, and commentator Howard Kurtz.

A federal lawsuit has now been filed against Fox News in the souther district of New York, with Eckhart and Areau as co-plaintiffs. In a statement, Fox News described that Eckhart should take action against Henry instead, as they’ve already taken steps by firing him from the network.

This is not the first time Fox News has been embroiled in such claims. In 2016, 23 women accused Fox News CEO Roger Ailes of sexual misconduct and he was forced to resign. Since then the channel has worked hard to distance itself from the scandal, maintaining a change in internal culture, however, this latest lawsuit challenges that, claiming that things are actually now worse.