But the newspaper reported that Francis had filed a gender-based pay discrimination complaint against the company which had gone into arbitration when she was taken off the air. This prompted her to compile a spreadsheet of anchors salaries at the network, seeking data from former colleagues and agents. On the show, Mr. Gingrich claimed that the main cause of violence at the recent Black Lives Matter protests was the George Soros-elected, left-wing, anti-police, pro-criminal district attorneys who refuse to keep people locked up., Melissa Francis, a Fox News anchor, then said, Im not sure we need to bring George Soros into this.. The enormous pay-out, which is on par with the huge settlements that Fox News gave a number of female employees who alleged sexual misconduct from former CEO Roger Ailes and ex-star Bill OReilly, was first reported by The Washington Post on Sunday. At the same time, Francis continued to anchor her midafternoon Fox Business program After the Bell. Even after adjusting for other variables like who had been working the longest, who was hosting Fox News shows solo, and who was hosting in primetime Francis found that men were being paid many times more than women at the network, she said. On the Friday episode of the SiriusXM radio program The Megyn Kelly Show, Francis and her lawyer Kevin Mintzer were featured to discuss the story. Melissa Francis has been off the air at Fox News and Fox Business since Oct. 7, and it is unclear when or even if the Outnumbered co-host will return to either network. Under the leadership of CEO Suzanne Scott, the network has implemented annual, mandatory in-person harassment prevention training, created an entirely new reporting structure, more than tripled the size of our HR footprint, started quarterly company meetings and mentoring events, as well as implemented a zero-tolerance policy regarding workplace misconduct for which we engage outside independent firms to handle investigations.. The revelation about Francis settlement amount comes just months after The Daily Beast first reported that she had filed a complaint with the New York State Department of Labor, claiming that Fox News retaliated against her for pointing out the pay disparity. She was not put back on the air again despite her public campaign on Twitter and her messages to President Trump. The Los Angeles Times, however, reported that Francis was actually locked in a gender-based pay discrimination dispute with the company, which had gone into arbitration when she was removed from the airwaves. Francis had been with the network since 2012, when she joined as a contributor. We have also fully cooperated with the New York State Department of Labors investigation and look forward to the completion of this matter., Kevin Mintzer, Francis attorney, says that the former Outnumbered co-host filed the labor complaint not for herself but for the women of the company who remain behind.. Fox News reportedly agreed to pay former anchor Melissa Francis approximately $15 million to settle a dispute over her claims of a gender pay gap at the network, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Facebook; Twitter; Email; FOX News Radio. Francis confessed that she and Fox hadnt wrapped things up amicably, explaining to Kelly the sordid details: While preparing to do her 4 p.m. show on what ended up being her final day, Francis was notified by Mintzer that the network was letting her go. But Friday, she was finally able to share her story with former Fox colleague, Megyn Kelly. At the time, she was a co-host of one of Foxs biggest daytime shows, Outnumbered, and had been negotiating for a raise to match the salaries of her male counterparts. As I pursued this in the meantime, you have to remember it was Covid. It generated nearly 300,000 likes, comments and shares on Facebook, reaching nearly 10 million people. Last October, Francis was pulled off both her regular co-hosting slot on midday roundtable show Outnumbered and her own mid-afternoon Fox Business Network program. Some may wonder what makes Melissa qualified to go from being an actress to a TV anchor. Francis, a former TV child star who had been with Fox for eight years, had reportedly been working without a contract for roughly a year. (Photo: Robin Marchant via Getty Images). Kelly, a former Fox News anchor, shared her experience with the network, saying, And I actually know for a fact that I was making more than most of my male colleagues, and that my last contract that was offered to me was definitely bigger even than OReillys. Mediaite reported in 2017 Fox offered Kelly $25 million a year for four years. Reacting to the NYC Human Rights settlement, Fox News at the time said it was pleased to reach an amicable resolution while noting that the violations in the commissions report occurred before current Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott had taken over. In August 2020, Francis entered arbitration to settle the dispute, with the arbitrator setting a deadline of Oct. 7, 2020, for the network to share the data with Francis lawyer. The spokesperson also noted that Fox has overhauled in workplace culture over the years, which has included the elevation of many women into leadership positions as well as on-air. Im not advocating, Im telling you to mentally prepare. Melissa Francis was pulled off the air in Oct. 2020 amid a dispute about pay disparity between men and women at Fox, and later filed a complaint with the Department of Labor. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. And I was like, Wow, OK. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. 2:19. These changes are being made independent of any other ongoing matter. A network spokesperson declined to comment beyond the statement. At the time, Fox cited program changes as the reason Francis was gone. I have a robotic camera so I dont have the power to turn any of it on and off. Its just a fact.. Women make less. Francis, 49, a former child actress and Harvard University graduate who had covered financial news for CNBC, was first hired by Fox in 2012 as an anchor for Fox The complaint led to the downfall of Ailes, who departed the network that year and died in 2017. We now have more insight into what happened to Melissa Francis at Fox News. Francis, 49, was a regular fixture on Fox News where she was a panelist on the daytime chat show Outnumbered and Fox Business Network from 2012-20. Fox News has paid former host Melissa Francis a reported $15 million settlement after she complained about a gender pay gap at the network.. The fine grouped four separate "willful and wanton" violations that each carried a maximum penalty of $250,000. 1 post among public Facebook pages on Friday morning was an article about Mr. Soros published by the far-right website Breitbart. Market Realist is a registered trademark. These changes are being made independent of any other ongoing matter.. I mean, all of a sudden this poor show team had no idea and they just yanked the electricity on their anchor, Francis said. 2 In 2022 Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament. Let me just ask you for just for the record. Multiple lawsuits against the network alleged that Scott helped enable former Fox News chief Roger Ailes culture of harassment. Francis had filed a separate complaint with the New York State Labor Department last year, arguing the conservative outlet retaliated against her after she brought up evidence of male hosts being paid more than their female counterparts, according to the Daily Beast. tips@mediaite.com. Conspiracies about George Soros at this point are boilerplate for any right-wing conspiracy, she said. As co-host of one of the networks biggest shows, Outnumbered, Francis wasnt seen on her regular time slots for weeks until in late October 2020 it was announced that, after nine years with the company, she had been pushed out of the network. In the last tweet she posted, she predicted Trump will win. All Rights Reserved. Have a tip or story idea? ' Francis recalled. When that day came around, Francis said she was ready to go on air when a message popped up on her teleprompter reading: Youve been canceled.. But in November 2020, she handed in her resignation. Her at-home studio, she explained, was controlled remotely by Fox, so she was startled when the Teleprompter delivered the message, Youve been canceled, instead of her script. And then if they want me not on tomorrow, whatever it is, thats fine.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Outnumbered co-host Melissa Francis is off the air and her status at Fox News is in doubt, Former Fox News political analyst Chris Stirewalt joins Nexstars NewsNation, A prison at Disney World? We have also fully cooperated with the New York State Department of Labors investigation and look forward to the completion of this matter.. We continue to cooperate with the Department of Labor, and we look forward to receiving the findings of their investigation.. In an interview, Francis described the events that she says led up to her being moved off the air. Times reported Thursday that Francis, who co-hosts Fox News Outnumbered and joined Fox Business Network in 2012, recently filed a gender-based pay discrimination claim against the company. Melissa Francis, a longtime business-news reporter who has been with Fox News Media since 2012, has been off the air since early October after approaching the Earlier this year, the New York City Commission on Human Rights fined Fox News $1 million for violations of laws protecting against sexual harassment and job retaliation. Offers may be subject to change without notice. They called out of the blue called Kevin and let him know that I my on-air services were no longer needed, Francis said. Diana Falzone was an on-camera and digital reporter for FoxNews.com from 2012 to 2018. She is a commentator for the Fox Business Network (FBN) and Fox News (FNC). The network also sidestepped why Francis had been off air for the last two weeks. Melissa Francis disappeared from Foxs air last year amid a dispute over pay discrimination. Francis joined Fox Business in 2012 and has been a regular on Outnumbered, its popular daytime show, since 2014. 100%. We have also fully cooperated with the New York State Department of Labors investigation and look forward to the completion of this matter.. She Has An Ivy League Education. She filed for arbitration in early 2020. The truth is that she has already been interested in But on Oct. 7, 2020, she abruptly stopped appearing on either network. In an interview with The Washington Post, Francis said that when she was first offered the promotion to Outnumbered in 2017, she was given a negligible increase in compensation, which was below $1 million a year and below what similar hosts were making. . Im about to go. Its just a fact. (A Fox News spokesperson said that Francis account of that conversation is untrue and patently absurd.), Women are paid less- thats just how the world works she was told. The Daily Beast has learned this week that New Yorks labor department has an ongoing investigation into Francis complaints about pay disparity and allegations that the network retaliated against her for raising those claims. Fox News reps would not comment further on the hosts future or the status of any complaint. They released a statement citing ongoing changes for the daytime lineup: Fox News Media regularly considers programming changes, including to its daytime lineup, and will launch new formats as appropriate after the election. We parted ways with Melissa Francis over a year and a half ago and her allegations were entirely without merit, the Fox News spokesperson says. She also recounted a conversation she had with former Fox News executive vice president for legal and business affairs Dianne Brandi in Nov. 2019. In June of 2022, it was reported by the Washington Post that Francis received a settlement of $15 million from Fox as a result of the pay gap complaint. In May 2017, she filed a gender discrimination and disability lawsuit against the network and settled, and left the company in March 2018. reported that Francis was actually locked, the network settled with New York Citys Commission on Human Rights for $1 million. Email us. (Brandi continues to represent Fox News in certain contract matters.) Perhaps no figure gets more attention in conspiracy circles than George Soros, the billionaire investor and Democratic donor. To this day, Francis says, she has no idea who was responsible for it. During contract negotiations in 2020, Francis claimed that she had been trying to increase her salary to be comparable to her male counterparts at the network. Melissa Franciss version of that conversation is untrue and patently absurd furthermore, it is illogical that anyone with Dianne Brandis level of experience in negotiating talent contracts for a living would make such a ludicrous statement, a network spokesperson said. Melissa Francis (Melissa Ann) Francis is an American actress, anchor and host. She continued, saying, He got a call and he said that my services were no longer needed on the air and I said, Well, they cant mean the show in 10 minutes because we all know you cant get an anchor in the chair that quickly. You know, Im gonna just go over and sit in my living room for my second show. Francis climbed the ranks at Fox, initially joining Fox Business as an anchor in 2012, having previously covered business news for CNBC. Copyright 2023 Market Realist. The Post said she resigned Feb. 2, 2021. Thats how the world works, Brandi responded, according to Francis. Japan Has Millions of Empty Houses. Fox News paid anchor Gretchen Carlson $20 million to settle her sexual discrimination lawsuit against the company in 2016. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. I mean, all of a suddenthis poor show team had no ideaand they just yanked the electricity on their anchor, Francis said. In November 2019, Dianne Brandi, a former executive vice president for legal and business affairs for Fox News, told Francis that her new contract wouldnt include a pay bump. Francis did not appear on the channel again. We parted ways with Melissa Francis over a year and a half ago and her allegations were entirely without merit, the company said in a statement. She determined that men were paid more than their female counterparts in similar roles on the network. We havealso fully cooperated with the NewYork State Department of Labors investigation and look forward to thecompletion of this matter.. (The commission began its investigation in July 2016 after Ailes was fired over multiple sexual misconduct allegations including former Fox host Gretchen Carlsons damning lawsuit. The penalty, the largest in the commission's history, stemmed from an investigation that began after network chief Roger Ailes, now deceased, was ousted following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. At the time, her salary was less than $1 million, and she believed it was much less than the salaries her peers were earning, she told the Post. We have also fully cooperated with the New York State Department of Labors investigation and look forward to the completion of this matter.. "Ms. Francis filed a charge with the New York State Department of Labor because Fox News has not changed and continues to discriminate and retaliate against women, including those who seek equal pay for equal work," Kevin Mintzer, Francis' attorney, said. Fox News has since expanded its human resources department and made it easier for employees to file complaints. Melissa Francis, who quietly disappeared from Fox News in October 2020, received a $15-million settlement after she filed a gender-based, pay-disparity claim against the network. DeSantis says hell reassert control over special Florida district, Writers Guild members vote to authorize strike by record margin as contract deadline nears, Vidiots returns: L.A. institution reveals opening date for new movie theater, video store, Amazons pricey spy drama Citadel to get $25-million California tax credit, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? Here are 22 essential L.A. spots for every tourist, Column: We cant afford another writers strike. Francis was also a regular contributor on Tucker Carlsons prime-time show. The Times reported Francis unexplained departure on Oct. 22, 2020, at which time Fox News said she remained an employee at the company. A human resources executive for Fox didnt respond to Francis pay disparity complaint either, and the company didnt grant her lawyer a disclosure of other Fox News stars salaries. I talked to the show staff afterward and they were like, We had we werent told anything. WebListen to article. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, Fired Fox News Host Ed Henrys Defamation Lawsuit Against Network Dismissed, Fox News Shannon Bream Presses Lindsey Graham to Explain the Pivot on His Proposed Nationwide Abortion Ban, Fox News Says Melissa Francis Isnt Fired but Shes Been Off Air Since Filing Gender-Pay Complaint, KTLA Viewers Angry Over Abrupt Exits of Weekend Anchors Mark Mester and Lynette Romero: It Was a D Move. WebFrancis, who was regularly seen on talk show Outnumbered, left the cable network amid a pay dispute in 2020. Anyone can read what you share. Im not sure we need to bring George Soros into this, said co-host Melissa Francis. This week, after sources said that Childers Francis specifically complained that she was underpaid compared to her male colleagues, the Times further reportedsomething Fox News would not comment on at the time, citing confidentiality. We have no idea what happened. And they were left scrambling. Black Teenager Shot in Kansas City, Missouri. So, Francis entered arbitration with the company in August 2020, and an arbiter gave the network a deadline of October 7, 2020, to disclose salary information. According to Francis, she agreed to wait until the next contract negotiation in 2019. Thats done from the studio. Francis, who was working from a studio the network had set up at her house during the COVID lockdown, was preparing to do an upcoming newscast when she read on the Teleprompter that she wasnt needed anymore, she said on the SiriusXM radio program,The Megyn Kelly Show.. Did Melissa file an arbitration against Fox? Kelly asked. The Daily Beast has learned that New Yorks labor department is probing her claims. Francis recalled that one day, despite the ratings for her shows being through the roof, her lawyer got a call from Fox letting him know that her time with the network was over. But now The Washington Post reports Francis had a pay dispute with the company, which later agreed to a multi-million-dollar payout to settle her claim. 15 minutes before the 4 p.m. Fox News Is Accused of Hiding George Soross Influence, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/18/technology/fox-news-george-soros.html, anticonservative villain by a loose network of activists and political figures on the right. While neither Francis nor her attorney Kevin Mintzer would comment on the settlement amount, Mintzer did provide a statement on Francis complaint with the labor department. Melissa Francis, a regular on the Fox News talk show Outnumbered and co-anchor of Fox Business After the Bell, has not been on the network since October 7 and her future is uncertain. FBN anchor pens powerful memoir. The spokesperson said the company has undergone a comprehensive overhaul of its entire workplace culture including tripling the size of its HR department, promoting more women in the executive ranks,elevating women in on-air host positions and other initiatives. Francis spoke to the Post about how she discovered the gender pay gap she alleges at the network, the events leading up to her resignation and her decision to file a complaint against her former employer. Im not advocating, Im telling you to mentally prepare. The TV personality told Megyn Kelly Friday that her 2020 pink slip appeared instead of a script moments before she was due on air, Melissa Francis at Fox Business Network in 2015 (Getty Images). We continue to cooperate with the Department of Labor, and we look forward to receiving the findings of their investigation., A network spokesperson provided the following response from Fox News Media: FOX News has always been committed to the equitable treatment of all employees which we have demonstrated consistently over our 26-year history, and we are extremely proud of our business. So the lights go on. Stephen Battaglio writes about television and the media business for the Los Angeles Times out of New York. according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post, Student with 2 published books, 4.2 GPA and 1560 SAT score rejected by Harvard, MIT, Yale and Princeton, Georgia teen 'was not tortured' during the house party that left him on a ventilator, DA says, adding that the teen 'voluntarily' drank until he blacked out, 3 Senate Republicans vow to block Feinstein's Judiciary replacement. His first civics lesson? 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Diana Falzone was an article about Mr. Soros published by the far-right website Breitbart win... Of anchors salaries at the time, Francis says, she agreed to wait until the next contract negotiation 2019! Fox cited program changes as the reason Francis was also a regular contributor on Tucker Carlsons prime-time show talk Outnumbered! For every tourist, Column: we cant afford another writers strike ideaand just... Ann ) Francis is an American actress, anchor and host on the hosts or. Reason Francis was also a regular on Outnumbered, left the cable network amid dispute! Against the company in 2016 our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks on their,... Her story with former Fox News ( FNC ) George Soros at this point boilerplate... Has since expanded its human resources department and made it easier for employees to file complaints commentator for Fox... 2, 2021 account of that conversation is untrue and patently absurd to... 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