Settlements in civil suits almost never come with an admission of guilt. It is always supposition a person is “guilty” of what they’re accused if they settle a case. It’s just the public perception people have. That said, it is rare when settlement terms are released. That Fox is going to issue a public a apology to Gretchen Carlson is pretty staggering:
Now the company has agreed, on behalf of Ailes, to settle Carlson’s suit for a stunning $20 million, according to three people familiar with the settlement. To reinforce their seriousness about creating a new culture in a post-Ailes world, the company is expected to offer Carlson a public apology as part of the settlement. (The company, according to two people familiar with the discussions, has also reached settlement agreements with two other women.)
Though Carlson’s case is against Ailes personally, Fox is essentially his insurer for any settlement, according to two people familiar with the arrangement, and discussions between Ailes’s legal team and 21st Century Fox’s legal team became very tense regarding how much Ailes might pay in a settlement. (At press time, it was unclear how much Ailes was personally on the hook for.) As part of the language at the end of the settlement, numerous people with knowledge of the deal told me, Carlson has agreed not to bring any further legal action against other executives at Fox News, or against the company itself.
According to Gabriel Sherman at New York Magazine, this is what the apology will say:
21CF: “We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect that she & all our colleagues deserve”
— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) September 6, 2016
That is something else. We’ll update this as more news comes in.
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