One of the most stunning aspects of the scandal involving the sexual harassment allegations leveled against former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes is the fact that the women who brought the situation to light were so empowered in their own right. What this tells us is that having status within an organization is not necessarily a buffer against incidents of harassment.
Both Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly are well-known figures in the television landscape. On the surface, it would seem neither would ever have to worry about being compromised by another member of the company for which they worked. Yet, by both of their accounts, they were on the receiving end of unwanted advances on behalf of the very powerful Mr. Ailes.
But eventually, both women decided they had to take a stand. For Ms. Carlson, this meant filing a lawsuit while Ms. Kelly told her story in a recently released memoir called “Settle for More.” And according to reports, a movie version of Ms. Kelly’s book is now slated for production.
While we have no idea what the finished product may look like, we hope that the film will help further educate the public about the stress and trauma suffered by women who are sexually harassed in the workplace. And perhaps both the publicity garnered by Ms. Kelly’s and Mr. Carlson’s ordeals will inspire other women to step forward and report incidents of harassment.
Even if you do not have the public notoriety of the Fox News women mentioned in this story, you still have the ability to stand up for your right to work in an environment that is harassment-free. So, if you have been subjected to unwanted advances or other forms of sexual harassment, you may want to get in touch with an experienced employees’ rights attorney. The attorney can assess your situation and act as your representative as you seek to have this serious matter resolved.
Source: Rolling Stone, “Megyn Kelly, Roger Ailes Sexual Harassment Film in the Works,” Daniel Kreps, Dec. 9, 2016
