We’d suggest hosting a telethon for Fox News, but there might not be anyone left to host it. That’s because the embattled conservative, cable news channel was forced to fire yet another one of its major figures.
Bob Beckel has been with Fox News for several years, most recently as a cohost of The Five, the network’s “edgy” prime-time discussion panel that follows Tucker Carlson. Beckel is a former Democratic strategist, which in theory gives the network some credibility for having a contributor who doesn’t tow the Republican Party line. However, Beckel hasn’t really been a loyal Democrat since the 1980s, and his sense of social norms apparently hasn’t evolved much either.
“Bob Beckel was terminated today for making an insensitive remark to an African-American employee,” read a statement from Fox, which recently let go of Bill O’Reilly, former vice president of news Bill Shine, and, of course, Roger Ailes, who died last week a year after being forced out over numerous sexual harassment claims.
According to a claim from a former Fox employee, Beckel complained when an African-American information technology worker entered his office to work on Beckel’s malfunctioning computer. Beckel allegedly “stormed out” of his office, complaining about the worker’s race.
The employee’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, released a statement saying:
“As with our other 22 clients, we intend on holding 21st Century Fox accountable for these actions and will be filing multiple other complaints in other matters next week.”
Wigdor’s firm is now representing nearly two dozen former Fox employees or affiliates who claim to have experienced sexual harassment or racist practices from employees at Fox News.
As Deadline points out, the company has already paid out $45 million to settle lawsuits in the last year alone. But in a statement, Fox said it would fight the larger suit being brought by Wigdor’s clients:
“We have consistently demonstrated that the Company is committed to a diverse workplace that is free from all forms of discrimination, takes any complaint of discrimination seriously, and in these particular matters took prompt, effective and, where necessary, strong remedial action. We believe these latest claims are without legal basis and look forward to proving that Fox News at all times has acted appropriately, and lawfully, in connection with these matters.”
