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Ed Henry, who was fired from Fox Information in 2020 over rape allegations raised by former Fox Enterprise Community affiliate Jennifer Eckhart, has been accused of sexually assaulting a second girl on the community in a brand new court docket submitting by Eckhart.
The bombshell declare that one other girl was sexually assaulted by Henry whereas he was a star at Fox Information, which was given as sworn testimony by the alleged sufferer, is simply the newest flashpoint in a authorized saga that has been mired within the courts for 4 years now. It additionally has sparked questions from those that currently work with Henry at MAGA channel Newsmax: “How the hell does this man have a job?”
Different present and former colleagues of Henry’s, in the meantime, stated that the latest allegations included in Eckhart’s lawsuit are “horrific” whereas taking a shot at Newsmax for using him regardless of previous accusations of sexual misconduct and harassment.
One former colleague stated that “Eckhart’s story doesn’t shock me, particularly the half that claims a number of males accused of rape or assault are nonetheless at Fox.”
In her original lawsuit in opposition to each Henry and the community filed in July 2020, Eckhart claims that the previous Fox Information anchor “groomed, psychologically manipulated and coerced” her right into a sexual relationship whereas referring to her as his private “intercourse slave,” which she says started in 2014. She additionally alleges that Henry violently raped her in 2017 when she “wouldn’t comply voluntarily” together with his sexual calls for.
The criticism accuses Fox Information of downplaying the severity of the danger of sexual misconduct and harassment Henry posed to feminine staff. She additionally claims that Fox Information retaliated in opposition to her for complaining concerning the hostile work atmosphere she was subjected to, resulting in her being terminated in June 2020.
Henry has lengthy denied Eckhart’s accusations whereas Fox Information has identified that the community fired Henry instantly after studying of Eckhart’s accusations. “Upon first studying of Jennifer Eckhart’s allegations in 2020, Fox Information promptly performed an investigation by an outdoor impartial legislation agency, which resulted in senior administration and HR terminating Ed Henry inside six days,” the community stated in an announcement after the lawsuit was first filed.
Earlier this fall, Fox Information filed a movement for abstract judgment within the case. In its submitting, Fox Information argued that Eckhart “didn’t inform anybody about her sexual encounters with Henry” and didn’t file any complaints about harassment or retaliation till after she was fired by the community. In response, Eckhart’s lawyer, Michael Willemin of Wigdor Regulation, Eckhart, admitted that she didn’t inform the community about Henry’s sexual misconduct till she departed Fox, although she has stated prior to now that Henry’s conduct was an “open secret” on the community.
“After having missed their deadline for submitting, the attorneys for Ms. Eckhart at the moment are desperately making an attempt to salvage their case,” Fox Information stated in an announcement to The Unbiased. “As discovery on this matter has confirmed, FOX Information was not conscious of any relationship between Ms. Eckhart and Mr. Henry or of any allegations of unwelcome sexual exercise by Mr. Henry till after she left the corporate.”
In response to Fox Information’ assertion, Willemin stated: “As made clear in at this time’s filings, there isn’t any advantage to Fox Information’ or Ed Henry’s determined makes an attempt to extricate themselves from this case. We firmly imagine that Fox Information and Mr. Henry are going to be held accountable by a jury or Ms. Eckhart’s friends, and we’re very a lot wanting ahead to pushing this case to trial.”
In his submitting on behalf of Eckhart, which was first reported by Mediaite, Willemin lays out a sequence of latest allegations of harassment and sexual assault by Henry whereas at Fox Information, arguing that the community was nicely conscious of the “important threat” Henry posed earlier than firing him in 2020. Willemin additionally states that Fox Information “failed to research” different allegations in opposition to Henry, though there was precedent attributable to Fox suspending Henry in 2016 over an extramarital “affair” he had with a cocktail waitress, prompting him to be despatched to a intercourse habit heart.
Willemin’s movement additionally claims that one other Fox Information staffer was sexually assaulted by Henry in 2017. “Fox Information’ therapy of Mr. Henry following his return to the community solely served to embolden him, as he escalated his abusive therapy of girls by not solely raping Ms. Eckhart, but in addition sexually assaulting one other Fox Information colleague,” the submitting states, redacting the title of the alleged sufferer.
The 39-page submitting additionally features a closely redacted part that describes allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct in opposition to a number of males who stay employed at Fox Information, asserting that the community is a “secure haven for males who have interaction in sexual harassment and assault.”
In the meantime, in its abstract judgment submitting, Fox Information states that Eckhart solely waited two weeks after she was fired for longstanding efficiency failures – and three years after the alleged sexual assault occurred – to boost the allegations with Fox via her attorneys. It additionally notes that previous to Eckhart’s criticism, Fox Information had solely obtained studies of consensual sexual exercise concerning Henry, and as soon as they investigated Eckhart’s claims, they rapidly took motion and fired the longtime anchor.
Henry’s lawyer Eden Quainton advised The Unbiased that whereas she “would have a remark, however doubtless not at this time.” She additionally stated she’d “encourage” this reporter “to take a look at all of the filings on the case and never simply the outrageous allegations du jour.”
After his unceremonious departure from Fox Information, Henry eventually resurfaced on the fringe right-wing channel Actual America’s Voice, the place he was once again accused of participating in lewd sexual conduct and harassment. In a human sources criticism that was first reported this summer time, Henry allegedly despatched a younger feminine staffer a sequence of sexually specific textual content messages whereas ultimately establishing a “grooming” relationship together with her.
The report, which got here out months after Henry left RAV for Newsmax, resulted in Henry’s removal from the network’s presidential debate coverage in June. Regardless of the transient benching, Henry has remained within the good graces of Newsmax.
Neither the community nor Henry responded to a request for remark.
Henry’s employment at Newsmax was already unpopular with community staffers prior to those newest allegations. When it was merely rumored he was being employed, staff fumed to Mediaite that Henry was a “authorized threat.” Staffers advised The Unbiased that they only don’t get why the community is taking an opportunity on him.
“Ed Henry being in Florida has him out of sight, out of thoughts more often than not,” one Newsmax worker advised The Unbiased, referencing Henry’s present location close to Boca Raton. “Nonetheless, after that almost all current court docket submitting, some persons are questioning: how the hell does this man have a job?”
In a prolonged assertion on her Instagram account, Eckhart – who now hosts her personal podcast – stated of her newest submitting that “regardless of the thousands and thousands of {dollars} spent by a publicly traded firm to aim to discredit me, and the indeniable details I’ve introduced forth, this litigation course of is now one step nearer to trial.”She added that her “coronary heart goes out to each different girl that has suffered by the hands of Ed Henry,” noting that she’s discovered all through this case that she’s “not the one survivor and Fox Information worker he has groomed and sexually assaulted.”
