Fox News hit with 2 new suits alleging race discrimination

Fox News on Tuesday confronted additional allegations that minorities who worked in the network’s payroll division were subjected to years of verbal abuse and “plantation-style management” by high-ranking white executives.

In the first of two race discrimination lawsuits filed in New York, 11 current and former Fox News employees said senior management turned a blind eye to “appalling racial discrimination.”

The class-action case amends a complaint filed in March by former Fox News employees Tichaona Brown and Tabrese Wright who alleged that former Fox News controller Judith Slater regularly made racist and inappropriate comments. Slater was fired Feb. 28.

The cases came less than a week after Fox fired conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly amid allegations that he sexually harassed women. O’Reilly said the allegations were “unfounded.”

In the second lawsuit filed Tuesday, former Fox News employee Adasa Blanco also alleged race discrimination. Her complaint names Fox, Fox News, network attorney Dianne Brandi and Slater.

Blanco said she left Fox News in 2013 after eight years because she could no longer tolerate the comments, including being ridiculed for her accent. Blanco, who is from Puerto Rico, alleged that Slater mocked the Black Lives Matter movement and referred to her commuter train as the “Bombay Express” because of the many Indians aboard.

“When it comes to racial discrimination, 21st Century Fox has been operating as if it should be called 18th Century Fox,” Douglas H. Wigdor and Jeanne Christensen, the attorneys for the plaintiffs, said in a statement.

Slater’s attorney, Catherine M. Foti, said in a statement: “These are meritless and frivolous lawsuits and all claims of racial discrimination against Ms. Slater are completely false.”

A Fox News spokesperson rejected the allegations, saying, “Fox News and Dianne Brandi vehemently deny the race discrimination claims in both lawsuits. We will vigorously defend these cases.”