Bill O’Reilly was accused of sexual harassment on Tuesday by a Black female colleague who says Bill often referred to her as ‘hot chocolate.’
According to the woman, outside of the ‘chocolate’ reference he didn’t say much else to her during their daily run-ins in 2008.
via NYDN:
“He would walk by her desk … and make grunting noises like an animal and wait for her to get off the elevator first and look at her backside and say, ‘Looking good, girl,’” said attorney Lisa Bloom.
“He would look at her cleavage and legs and call her ‘hot chocolate.’”
O’Reilly attorney Marc E. Kasowitz ripped the charges as part of a conspiracy to ruin O’Reilly’s career.
“It is outrageous that an allegation from an anonymous person about something that purportedly happened almost a decade ago is being treated as fact,” said Kasowitz.
Even worse, he said, “there is obviously an orchestrated campaign by activists and lawyers to destroy Mr. O’Reilly and enrich themselves through publicity driven donations.”
Bloom says there were three witnesses who can confirm the victim’s charges. The unidentified woman claimed she was afraid of getting fired if she reported O’Reilly.
The Fox News anchor, host of the popular “O’Reilly Factor,” was linked earlier this month to $13 million in settlements made with five women who accused the raunchy reporter of lewd comments and sexual propositions.
According to Bloom, her client — who worked for another Fox broadcaster — was emboldened to call the Fox News hotline for sexual complaints Tuesday with her allegations.
Some 50 anti-O’Reilly protesters gathered outside the Fox News headquarters in Midtown Tuesday in a rally calling for O’Reilly’s head. The anchor is currently on vacation, and missed the demonstration.
“This is unacceptable,” said protester Jillian Mulvihill, 70, of Ridgewood, N.J. “I’ve worked for guys like this. I know what they’re like. They’re very powerful and they will take advantage of that power.”
Public Advocate Letitia James riled up the crowd by mentioning her call for the New York City Commission on Human Rights to probe Fox News.
“I asked the (commission) to investigate whether there’s racial or gender discrimination in this workplace at Fox,” she said.
“Whether or not there’s a climate of hate and harassment at this workplace, whether or not this is a safe work place for women.”
The crowd chanted back about O’Reilly: “He’s immoral! Lock him up!” A huge sign reading “Fox: Drop sexual predator O’Reilly” was raised behind James as she spoke.
“Bill O’Reilly would like to hold himself out as the moral voice of America,” said James. “He has demonstrated a blatant lack of respect for women. Our rights are under attack.”
The women’s advocacy group UltraViolet posted posters around the Rockefeller Center building with a photo of O’Reilly and the question, “Have you also been sexually harassed by Bill?”
Yeah…it’s time for Bill to get on up out of here.
