One day after Awful Announcing reported Fox had asked the court for a dismissal in the bombshell workplace misconduct lawsuit implicating a top executive and on-air talents, two more defendants have responded to the allegations.
Noushin Faraji, a former hairstylist for FS1, filed a lawsuit last month accusing former host Skip Bayless of sexual misconduct, including offering Faraji $1.5 million for sex. Faraji additionally accused current FS1 host Joy Taylor of harassment on the basis of ethnicity.
Both Bayless and Taylor have filed separate defenses asking the court for relief.
Bayless’ defense attempts to absolve the former Undisputed host of any wrongdoing, claiming that Faraji “consented” to the alleged acts. In the original lawsuit, Faraji claims that Bayless would “give [Faraji] lingering hugs and kisses on the cheek while putting his body against hers and pressing against her breasts.”
Part of Bayless’ defense also centers around the claim that “pre-existing psychological or medical conditions(s)” could have caused Faraji the “emotional distress or pain” that she alleges in her original suit.
Taylor’s defense similarly contends that any alleged emotional distress experienced by Faraji was due to “outside factors” unrelated to the alleged conduct.
Just as Fox did in its separate filing, Bayless also cites the doctrine of “unclean hands,” which prevents a party from seeking relief in court if they have also engaged in unethical conduct related to the subject matter.
Additionally, both Bayless and Taylor argue that Faraji failed to address the matter through internal remedies, such as Fox’s Human Resources department. In the original lawsuit, Faraji claimed she approached the department several times, but the internal processes failed her.
Notably, Bayless and Taylor have filed individual defenses here. In cases like these, it’s common for individuals implicated to be represented by their employer. In fact, California law dictates that employers are required to pay for the defense of employees (or former employees if the individual was employed during the alleged time period).
Both Bayless and Taylor have opted to retain outside representation instead.
