Oreilly Sexual Harrasment

Q: What exactly is it that O'Reilly doesn't dispute? Why should Fox pay anyone anything? I haven't heard it said that O'Reilly threatened the woman's job if she didn't do this or that. On the contrary, she went to O'Reilly and asked to come back to work for him - after the naughty conversations are supposed to have taken place.

A: She returned to Fox News under the condition that she would not have to endure any further sexual harrasment from Bill O'Reilly. She claims she is fearful of O'Reilly who has threatened to "destroy any woman who ever complains about or discusses any of his private conversations" she also added that O'Reilly claimed to be "connected all the way up to the top" referencing Bush and Cheney and considers himself beyond the law. Under the law, one can allege sexual harassment without claiming one's job was threatened. Creating a hostile work environment is sufficient. Now, as a lawyer, I'd be

a bit nervous pursuing her case, because the fact that she returned to Fox after the earlier harassment might suggest that she wasn't all that bothered by the harassment in the first place. But if the facts turn out that the harassment got substantialy worse after her return, she still has a case; and even without that, it's a tough call -- just because you go to work for someone you know is an asshole, they don't get a free pass at ongoing sexual harassment. If Justice Thomas hired a female law clerk, and promptly began making sexual comments around her, I don't think he'd have much of a defense just because his confirmation hearing put the world on notice of his proclivities.