Skip to main content

Fox Sports 1 Television Personality Files Age Discrimination Suit Against Company


Note, readers might remember the religious discrimination suit that television personality Craig James filed against Fox Sports last August.  Although that case is unrelated to this one, these both involve discrimination suits filed by television personalities versus Fox Sports. 


In mid December, Fox Sports 1 personality Colleen Dominguez ("Dominguez") filed an age discrimination suit against the company.  Dominguez, 46 years old, was hired by Fox Sports 1 on March 1, 2014.  She says the company described her as a "key personality" in the agreement and expected her to play a major role in its coverage.  

However, Dominguez claimed that her assignments soon began to diminish and even though she lined up interviews with professional golfer Rory McIlroy and San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, Fox Sports 1 declined to approve the interview because "those interviews would 'muddy the waters' for FOX's other reporters."  As well, Dominguez said she e-mailed Fox Sports president Eric Shanks ("Shanks") in January 2015 to ask for more assignments, but Shanks allegedly never looked into it even though he said he would.

Dominguez also alleged in her complaint that a supervisor told her "we [FOX] don't handle veteran female reporters very well."  A FOX producer even apparently told her "you haven't done anything wrong at all.  Just because 5 men at a company want to be gratified by 24 year old women doesn't make you bad at your job."  Dominguez also alleged from co-workers that management was concerned how she "looked" on camera.  

In her complaint, Dominguez has asked for an unspecified amount of damages.  As litigation progresses, I would expect a monetary figure to eventually be plead.

As of this point, Fox Sports 1 has no comment on the matter.  Given the early stages of this litigation, it is hard to say what defenses Fox Sports 1 will raise to Dominguez's allegations.  Some of the claims she raises in her could certainly prove to be grounds for a valid Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA") suit.  However, until Fox Sports 1 files its answer, discovery is conducted, depositions taken, etc., it is still too early to know where this case will go.  Stay tuned.


A copy of the complaint can be found here:  http://www.scribd.com/doc/293549530/Dominguez-Lawsuit

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking: Labor Secretary Rumored to Be Leaving Administration

A few hours ago, word leaked out that Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (“Walsh”) is in the midst of negotiations to head up the NHL Players Union and leave his position at the Labor Department. Walsh, who has served as the sole Labor Secretary under President Biden, has taken part in a labor renaissance of sorts as support for organized labor has increased during his term as Labor Secretary (although the number of workers that have joined a union over the past two years has not grown as mush as some expected.)  He has also overseen the ongoing negotiations with rail workers over a new contract, although that matter is still on shaky ground and playing out as we speak. As for who might step into the vacant Labor Secretary role, there are already rumblings that President Biden should nominate Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su (a strong labor advocate) or even a progressive like Senator Bernie Sanders.  Until Walsh officially gives his notice, however, I would expect some/many potential...
Post a Comment
Read more

San Diego Rolls Back Vaccine Mandate For City Workers

Last Tuesday, the San Diego City Council voted to do away with the vaccine mandate for city employees. The city’s vaccine mandate that was in place required city workers to get the coronavirus vaccine or risk termination.  Perhaps to this surprise of no one, the city’s policy came under fire with 14 employees being terminated and over 100 other employees resigning.  With the coronavirus subsiding, including in Southern California, the San Diego City Council took action. Now, bear in mind, the repeal of the vaccine mandate does not take place immediately. With that being said, the mandate will be repealed March 8th.  I suppose the question now is, what other cities or regions follow San Diego’s lead? For additional information:   https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-01-24/san-diego-repeals-controversial-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-citing-drop-in-cases-hospitalizations
Post a Comment
Read more