Fox News has 'parted ways' with legal analyst Andrew Napolitano after sexual harassment investigation

Fox News dropped longtime legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano after a 27-year-old associate producer complained he had "sexually harassed numerous young male employees during his tenure at Fox News," according to a legal complaint filed Monday, Variety reports. The associate producer, John Fawcett, says he told Fox News HR about Napolitano's alleged misconduct but the network did not take any immediate action. Napolitano has not appeared on Fox News in several months.

Fox News disputed Fawcett's characterization in a statement Monday, saying it "immediately investigated the claims and addressed the matter with both parties," taking "immediate, appropriate action." Fox News also said "the network and Judge Napolitano have since parted ways," adding: "We take all allegations of misconduct seriously, are committed to providing a safe, transparent, and collaborative workplace environment for all our employees."

Fawcett first worked on Lou Dobbs' Fox Business show until it was canceled, then moved to Larry Kudlow's show. In his complaint, Fawcett also said Kudlow "used ethnic slurs and made sexually inappropriate comments about women in front of multiple staff members" and "blocked a congressman from appearing as a guest on his program because of the congressman's race." Fox News called these allegations, plus sex-discrimination charges against a female Kudlow senior producer, "completely baseless and nothing more than a desperate attempt at a payday."

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Fawcett is represented by Ty Clevenger, the attorney who, Variety notes, "also works on behalf of Ed Henry, a former Fox News anchor who was dismissed from Fox last year after an investigation into his conduct."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.