Three months after the revelation of a significant workplace misconduct lawsuit involving several current and former Fox Sports employees, it appears that the case is on the path to settlement. According to a court filing obtained by Awful Announcing, Fox Sports, former FS1 host Skip Bayless, current FS1 host Joy Taylor, and current Fox Sports executive Charlie Dixon sought to mediate the lawsuit filed by former Fox Sports hairstylist Noushin Faraji. Although no agreement was reached during last month’s meeting, negotiations are still ongoing. Front Office Sports first reported on the potential for a settlement.
According to the filing submitted in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, Faraji and Fox Sports “are continuing to engage in settlement discussions with the mediator” and have requested a postponement of an initial status conference, originally scheduled for April 22, to July 29. “The parties believe that to preserve resources, it would be beneficial to hold off on the Initial Status Conference pending completion of settlement negotiations,” the document states.
Faraji’s complaint included allegations that both Bayless and Dixon sexually harassed her during her employment at Fox, while also claiming that she was subjected to racially insensitive remarks from Taylor. Shortly after Faraji’s lawsuit was filed, former Fox Sports host Julie Stewart-Binks filed a similar lawsuit against Dixon, alleging that he sexually assaulted her in his hotel room during a 2016 meeting. Last week, Dixon responded, asserting that he had “no sexual or offensive contact or intentional contact with [Stewart-Binks]” at the meeting.
Given the seriousness of the allegations, it has always seemed improbable that either of these lawsuits would proceed to trial. However, Fox Sports and the individual defendants have already endured reputational damage.
