Why Are CNN and Fox News Being Sued for Workplace Racial Discrimination?

CNN and Fox News are being sued by current and former employees for workplace racial discrimination. According to three Fox News Network employees, they were targeted with cruel comments and other forms of racial harassment. The complaints specifically mention a former executive at Fox News. Plaintiffs claim the executive would throw her hands up in the air when crossing paths with black employees and say “hands up don’t shoot.” They also claim the executive wrote “mother”, “father” and “ask” on cards, then asked the employees to pronounce the words. Fox News fired the executive last month.

African American employees at CNN filed a class action lawsuit against the news network. According to the employees, they received lower performance reviews and less pay than employees of other races. In addition, the employees also claim they were targeted with racist comments from superiors.

Are There Warning Signs of Workplace Racial Discrimination?

Racial discrimination can occur at any job. There are warning signs employees may experience if they are targeted with this type of workplace discrimination.

• Name-calling and racially charged comments
• Poor performance reviews, demotions or job termination
• Hitting a glass ceiling. Employees may be given more responsibilities while pay and promotions remain stagnant. Less qualified employees of a different race may be given higher pay and promotions instead.

In many cases, these warning signs are a frequent occurrence that create a hostile work environment. Employees who are being targeted with racial discrimination should begin taking notes on what is happening. Emails, text messages, voicemails and other forms of correspondence can become useful evidence.

Dallas discrimination lawyer Dan A. Atkerson can help employees harmed by workplace discrimination discover possible legal options.