A decade-long employment at Fox Sports culminates in serious allegations against prominent sports media personalities and executives.
According to Front Office Sports, former Fox Sports hairstylist Noushin Faraji has filed a 42-page lawsuit against Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and several high-profile individuals, including Skip Bayless and Joy Taylor, alleging sexual battery, harassment, and workplace discrimination.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles on Friday, details multiple instances of alleged inappropriate conduct spanning Faraji's employment from 2012 through August 2024. The allegations include an incident where Fox Sports EVP Charlie Dixon allegedly grabbed her buttocks at a West Hollywood birthday party and claims that Skip Bayless made repeated unwanted advances, including offering her $1.5 million for sexual favors.
Faraji's lawsuit describes a pattern of escalating behavior from Bayless, including unwanted physical contact and inappropriate comments. According to the filing, Bayless would give her "lingering hugs and kisses" while pressing against her body. The situation reportedly worsened even after Faraji disclosed her ovarian cancer diagnosis, which she claims was an attempt to halt his advances.
The lawsuit also alleges that when Faraji rejected Bayless's advances by mentioning his marriage, he responded with culturally insensitive comments about her Muslim background. Additionally, Bayless allegedly accused her of having relations with his former co-host, Shannon Sharpe.
Sports law attorney Daniel Wallach, speaking about the case, said:
Her lengthy tenure at Fox Sports and not-so-thinly-veiled references to multiple anonymous witnesses suggests that she may have the receipts to back up her version of the events.
Fox Sports has acknowledged the severity of the allegations while maintaining a cautious stance. The network released a brief statement indicating they take the allegations seriously but declined further comment due to pending litigation.
The case adds to a history of similar lawsuits in sports media. Previous cases include Rita Ragone's 2007 lawsuit against ESPN, Jami Cantor's 2017 case against NFL Network, and Adrienne Lawrence's 2019 settlement with ESPN. These cases established precedents for addressing sexual harassment in sports media workplaces.
According to Faraji's attorney, Devin Abney:
Our client looks forward to being vindicated and hopes this will compel Fox to take meaningful and substantial steps to address and resolve the toxic workplace that has impacted her and many of her colleagues.
The lawsuit seeks class-action status to represent other nonexempt Fox employees in California over the past four years. This broader scope could potentially impact Fox's operations and workplace policies significantly.
The legal action comes during a period of major changes at FS1, following Bayless's departure from "Undisputed" and subsequent programming restructuring. The network has launched new shows, including "Breakfast Ball" and "The Facility," while maintaining established programs.
The suit notably mentions that Fox Sports executives Mark Silverman and Eric Shanks could be added as defendants based on discovery findings. This suggests a potential expansion of the case's scope as legal proceedings progress.
The lawsuit filed by Noushin Faraji against Fox Sports and its prominent figures represents serious allegations of workplace misconduct spanning over a decade. The former hairstylist's claims of sexual battery, harassment, and discrimination, coupled with specific allegations against Skip Bayless and Charlie Dixon, present significant challenges for the network. As the case moves forward, it will likely influence workplace policies and accountability measures across sports media organizations while potentially affecting Fox Sports' programming and personnel decisions.
