Fox News Network Sued by Widow Whose Husband's Suicide Was Inadvertenty Telecast

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A woman this week in Maricopa County (Ariz.) Superior Court sued Fox News Network, News Corp. and Fox Entertainment for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress after coverage of an 80-mile car chase involving her husband and police ended with his suicide being inadvertently telecast, according to a Courthouse News Service article.

Studio B with Shepard Smith broadcast portions of the police pursuit of JoDon Romero in Phoenix and the surrounding area on September 28, 2012, according to Plaintiff Angela Rodriguez's complaint. During one segment, Romero emerged from his vehicle, racing through the desert brandishing a gun. Despite Smith's instructions to "get off," according to the complaint, coverage didn't break off, and because of the alleged failure to delay the broadcast, Romero's fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound aired nationwide. The complaint cites Smith's on-air apology for the inadvertent footage of the suicide.

According to Rodriguez's complaint, her children suffered post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms after seeing the footage on YouTube that classmates purportedly discussed in school. The complaint seeks punitive and compensatory damages for the children, who Rodriguez claims have been too depressed to attend school since viewing their father's shooting.

Correspondent Out-'Foxed' in Discrimination Lawsuit

Image via WikipediaIn EEOC v. Fox News Network (Case No. 10-1660(RJL)), U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Richard J. Leon last week granted summary judgment for the defendant against sex and age discrimination claims brought by its Washington, D.C.-based homeland and national security correspondent Catherine Herridge.

Herridge, Fox's highest paid Washington bureau correspondent, sought relief, including punitive damages, alleging she was financially retaliated against during contract negotiations with the news organization, according to McClatchy Co. blog Suits & Sentences. Fox apparently offered Herridge a three-year contract renewal that paid $495,000 in Year 1, followed by annual increases to $530,000 and $570,000, which she countered, initially with a request that started at $621,000 in the first year and grew to $821,000 by year 3 and then subsequently changed to $900,000 in the first year and a request she be assigned anchor duties.

In his 17-page Memorandum of Opinion, Judge Leon ruled Herridge failed to prove financial injury, and branded her salary demand "astronomical."  Judge Leon wrote: "Herridge's allegations of retaliation, and her eagerness to blame Fox News for delays in salary negotiations are belied by persistent and unfeasible demands detailed in the record."

Apparently, the Court found Fox News made a liberal contract offer to Herridge that would ensure her personal security, if not national security.