Fox News Dismissed from Former Producer's Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Ed Henry

Fox News has been cleared from a sexual assault lawsuit initially filed by former producer Jennifer Eckhart, who had accused the network and its former anchor Ed Henry of misconduct. After accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced in 2020, Fox News had promptly commissioned an external investigation and subsequently terminated Henry's employment.

In a recent ruling, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams concluded that Fox News could not be held responsible because there was no substantial evidence that network leadership was aware of Ed Henry's alleged harassment of Eckhart prior to its occurrence. The judge emphasized that Eckhart herself had admitted she did not report the relationship or misconduct allegations to anyone at Fox until after her termination in 2020. Abrams ruled that, given the facts presented, no reasonable jury could determine the network had knowledge or failed to prevent Henry's alleged misconduct.

Although the claims against Fox have been dismissed, Eckhart's legal action against Henry continues. The trial, scheduled for May 12, will examine Eckhart's allegations of assault, battery, sex trafficking, and harassment. Henry, who now works at Newsmax, denies Eckhart's accusations of violent assault, asserting instead in court filings that their interactions were consensual and claiming he will ultimately be vindicated.

Eckhart expressed gratitude that most of her case against Henry will move forward. She also made clear her intention to appeal Judge Abrams' decision to drop Fox from the lawsuit. Eckhart emphasized the broader fight against alleged corporate cultures that allow for workplace abuse, intimidation, and misconduct.

Fox News responded positively to the decision, reaffirming their swift action in firing Henry upon learning of Eckhart's allegations. The network underscored findings from discovery proceedings that confirmed it had no previous knowledge of the relationship or Eckhart's claims until after she had departed the company.

The original lawsuit detailed allegations that Henry had sexually harassed Eckhart beginning in 2015 when she was in her early twenties, ultimately alleging that the harassment escalated into a violent assault in early 2017. Eckhart had argued Fox was negligent due to purported prior knowledge of Henry's behavior toward other women; however, the court determined that Fox did not possess such knowledge during the relevant period.

Eckhart, who joined Fox in 2013, alleged she felt professional pressure and feared career repercussions if she did not comply with Henry's demands, which allegedly included explicit communications and interactions. Henry reportedly previously faced suspension in 2016 for enrolling in a rehabilitation program following a separate extramarital affair. Despite Henry's strong denial of the assault allegations, the litigation continues separately against him.