Former Detroit Newscaster Files Discrimination Lawsuit

A dismissed TV newscaster from Detroit has leveled serious accusations against her previous station and its parent company, claiming they overlooked inappropriate behavior from a male colleague and subsequently fired her after she voiced her concerns over unequal treatment. This is all detailed in a recent lawsuit.

Taryn Asher filed a federal sex discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday against Fox Television and WJBK TV, her former employer known as Fox 2 Detroit, following her unexpected termination last November.

Asher’s grievance notes that after Paul McGonagle became the general manager at Fox 2, the station experienced a decline. This situation reportedly led to a pattern where many women were dismissed while male colleagues, including Asher’s co-anchor Roop Raj, received additional benefits and opportunities.

“Had Asher not been a woman, she wouldn’t have faced the same discriminatory treatment,” the lawsuit contends.

Asher further claims that Raj enjoyed “preferential treatment,” receiving more guest interview opportunities on the evening news along with advantageous scheduling changes.

For instance, Asher pointed out that while Raj was allowed to host his own show, “The Pulse,” he was denied the chance to adjust his schedule for another program, “Let It Rip,” which raised questions about fairness.

The lawsuit also mentions that the station permitted Raj to neglect certain professional duties without penalty.

In an email to McGonagle, Asher expressed her worries regarding the imbalance in treatment, particularly highlighting the flexibility afforded to her male co-anchor despite them sharing similar responsibilities.

As per the court records, McGonagle informed Asher that her scheduling concerns would not be addressed and that a new program was going to be delayed.

Additionally, Asher, an experienced Emmy Award-winning journalist, noted that she had handed over all her planned guest interviews scheduled for Election Day to Raj, according to the documents.

After voicing her concerns to management without a satisfactory response, Asher decided to share her feelings about perceived preferential treatment with her fellow co-anchors.

The following day, Raj reached out to Human Resources, describing Asher in derogatory terms as “jealous,” and mischaracterized her allegations of sexual discrimination, according to the court filings.

Not long after this, Asher was put on administrative leave while an investigation commenced regarding complaints of “egregious conduct” from her colleagues at Fox. She was subsequently fired after a two-week probe into purported “abusive language” in the workplace.

Asher has denied any accusations of an “outburst” that would justify her firing.

The lawsuit alleges that several male employees engaged in similar unprofessional or illegal actions but faced much lighter consequences.

For instance, one man reportedly received a mere two-week suspension after a drunk driving arrest in 2012, while McGonagle was promoted following a similar incident at another Fox location.

Asher is claiming unspecified damages from both Fox Television and WJBK Television.

This legal action follows a complaint she filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where she asserted that she experienced “less favorable” treatment compared to her male counterparts.

Attempts to get comments from McGonagle and other involved parties went unanswered.