A former Detroit television anchor is suing Fox Television Stations and WJBK-TV, alleging sex discrimination and retaliation after a heated newsroom exchange that led to her being pulled from the air. Taryn Asher claims the station treated male employees accused of misconduct more leniently than her, according to a federal lawsuit.
Asher was removed from her anchoring duties in November after a video surfaced of a confrontation in the newsroom. The video, captured while Asher was recording a public service announcement, shows her engaging in a dispute over scripts and workflow. During the exchange, Asher can be heard calling her boss a “bitch” and stating she was “so done with her antics” and complaining that her boss was “telling on me every five seconds.”
Fox Television Stations disputes Asher's account, asserting that her removal followed “unprofessional workplace behavior” and “outbursts.” The station claims multiple employees complained about Asher’s conduct in the week prior to her paid leave on November 5. According to the station's response to Asher's lawsuit, these complaints included shouting at employees over guest-interview assignments, repeated use of profanity, and “confrontational and disrespectful interactions” with colleagues.
Fox also alleged that Asher confronted an employee she believed had reported her to management. The station refuted Asher's description of a dispute over guest interviews, stating she often missed editorial meetings where assignments were discussed. Fox cited an incident on October 30 where Asher allegedly mistook her male co-anchor, Roop Raj, for being assigned an interview she had booked, despite it being assigned to her all along. Fox claims Asher then raised her voice and shouted at two colleagues over the perceived mix-up.
Tensions reportedly escalated again during election coverage on November 4. While producers initially assigned Raj both guest interviews for the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts, one was later reassigned to Asher. Fox stated Asher then confronted Raj, accusing him of preferential treatment and saying, “You don’t own politics.”
The following day, Asher was placed on paid leave pending an investigation. Fox noted that Raj also spoke to human resources around the same time, expressing his belief that Asher was “jealous” of him and had an issue with “men versus women.”
Following its investigation, Fox informed Asher on November 21 that she would not return due to “repeated outbursts in the newsroom and multiple instances of unprofessional conduct with her colleagues.”
Asher maintains she did not engage in outbursts or unprofessional conduct warranting termination and alleges the station retaliated against her for complaining about sex discrimination. Her lawsuit, filed under federal and Michigan civil-rights laws, contends that Fox treated male employees accused of similar misconduct with greater leniency. The Post has sought comment from both Asher and Fox 2.