Wigdor LLP has been retained by Fox News employees in separate claims against their employer for racial and gender discrimination and wrongful termination claims.
On April 26, 2017 the firm’s founding partner, Douglas Wigdor, held a press conference on behalf of 13 clients who alleged race discrimination against Fox News Network LLC, its former controller and senior vice president of accounting and its general counsel.
Eleven of the claimants have filed a proposed class action on behalf of current or former African-American employees of Fox News, and Wigdor confirmed that there are more than 200 current and former employees who could be part of the class.
One week later, Wigdor, who is also qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales, addressed a letter to the chief executive of the U.K. regulatory authority Office of Communications (Ofcom) outlining the claims against Fox. Ofcom is reviewing the proposed acquisition of Sky PLC by Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., under its “Public Interest Test.” In the May 3 letter, Wigdor cited Section 3(3) of the Broadcasting Act, which holds that a license shouldn’t be granted unless the entity is “fit and proper” to hold it and uniquely questions whether Fox’s proposed takeover of Sky serves the public interest.
The following day, the firm filed a complaint on behalf of Fox News Radio correspondent Jessica Golloher, alleging gender discrimination and retaliation against Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., Fox News Network LLC, its director of news programming and vice president of Fox News Radio. In April, Golloher followed the procedures outlined by a company-wide email urging employees to voice concerns of harmful workplace behavior to its human resources department and counsel. Less than one day after raising her concerns, the suit alleges that Fox terminated Golloher in retaliation.
Wigdor LLP was recognized in New York’s Leading Lawyers 2016.