Fox News Wins Dismissal of Lawsuit From Producer Alleging Ed Henry Rape

A previous associate producer at Fox News will no longer proceed with a legal action, which alleged that the network failed to address potential risks of sexual assault by the ex-White House chief correspondent Ed Henry.

On Wednesday, Judge Ronnie Abrams in a U.S. District Court dismissed several accusations, including sexual assault, sex trafficking, revenge porn, harassment, and retaliation, made by Jennifer Eckhart against the network. The remaining parts of her case against Henry will move forward to trial.

As an ardent supporter, I’m eagerly anticipating the decision to appeal the recent ruling. My hope is that we can bring Mr. Henry to justice in front of a jury, ensuring his actions are properly judged and penalized.

Back in 2020, I found myself at the center of a distressing legal battle in a federal court in New York. This lawsuit was sparked by claims that I had been subjected to persistent sexual harassment by Henry for years, which tragically escalated into a violent rape in a hotel room. The alleged incident unfolded after Henry manipulated me into a sexual relationship by threatening my career, and even assaulting me at the network’s offices in New York.

As a gamer putting this into my own words: I, like many others, wouldn’t have anticipated the actions of a colleague I met back in 2013, who started as an administrative assistant and later got promoted to associate producer at Fox News. It wasn’t until much later that allegations of misconduct from this person surfaced. I want to clarify that there were no reports of retaliation prior to her termination. Concerning the accusations, I maintain that our relationship was consensual, as stated by the individual in question, Henry.

In Wednesday’s decision, the court supported Fox News, as they argued they couldn’t have foreseen or prevented Henry from harassing Eckhart. Abrams, in her ruling, stated there was no proof that Fox News knew about Henry’s alleged mistreatment of Eckhart prior to the incident happening. She also mentioned that she didn’t disclose their relationship to anyone at the company until after she was dismissed in 2020.

In a summary judgment, Eckhart contended that supervisors at Fox News were aware that Henry had been harassing female colleagues within the network. She supported this claim by referring to the network arranging for him to undergo sex rehabilitation in 2016, following the disclosure of his extramarital affair.

Nevertheless, the court determined that Fox News was unaware of many of the incidents before Eckhart and Henry’s last sexual encounter in 2017. The court also stated that since there is no proof indicating that Fox News learned about these affairs prior to April 2017 or later, it would be impossible for a fair jury to conclude that they were warned about Henry potentially assaulting her.

Fox News was unaware of Henry’s alleged sexual misconduct until Eckhart brought it to their attention via his lawyers in 2020, according to the ruling. Upon learning about the accusations, the court mentioned that they conducted an investigation and fired him six days thereafter.

“We are pleased with the court’s decision,” a Fox News spokesperson said in a statement.

In 2014, Henry and Eckhart provided contrasting accounts of a meeting for drinks at a New York hotel. According to Henry, she willingly accepted an invitation to his room where they engaged consensually in sexual activities. However, Eckhart asserted that he forcefully pushed her against a wall, locked the door, and sexually assaulted her. She alleged that she was unable to refuse his advances due to fear of repercussions on her career, referencing another incident in 2017 where she claimed she was brutally raped and physically abused.

Henry is set to undergo a trial commencing in May, concerning allegations of assault, battery, human trafficking for sexual purposes, and harassment.

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2025-03-13 03:25