Fox News settles sexual harassment claim

Fox News announced this morning it has agreed to pay former Fox & Friends host Gretchen Carlson $20 million to settle sexual harassment claims she made against former chairman Roger Ailes. Carlson filed suit in July, accusing Ailes of making unwanted sexual advances and demoting her when she turned him down. She also claimed the network cultivated a pervasive sexist culture. Ailes dismissed Carlson’s claims as retribution for not renewing her contract. But other female hosts, including anchor Megyn Kelly, corroborated Carlson’s statements, and Ailes resigned two weeks later. In its statement, the network apologized: “We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve.”