The New York State Department of Labor is reportedly investigating Fox News over complaints of gender discrimination and retaliation made by former host Melissa Francis.
Francis, who was regularly seen on talk show Outnumbered, left the cable network amid a pay dispute in 2020.
The Daily Beast reported that the NYS Department of Labor launched a probe in March into Francis' claims of pay disparity and that the network retaliated against her for raising the claims.
"Ms. Francis filed a charge with the New York State Department of Labor because Fox News has not changed and continues to discriminate and retaliate against women, including those who seek equal pay for equal work," Kevin Mintzer, Francis' attorney, said.
Mintzer confirmed the investigation was ongoing, adding: "We are pleased the Department is conducting an appropriate investigation in response to her charge."
Fox News did not comment on the investigation, but told the outlet that it "parted ways with Melissa Francis nearly a year ago."
Mintzer, the NYS Department of Labor and Fox News have been contacted for additional comment.
Francis had been working at the network without a contract for almost a year when she was pulled from her regular slot co-hosting Outnumbered and a Fox Business Network program in October last year, The Los Angeles Times reported.
A Fox News spokesperson at the time attributed it to the company revamping its daytime programming.
"Fox News Media regularly considers programming changes, including to its daytime lineup, and will launch new formats as appropriate after the election," the spokesperson told The Times in October 2020. "These changes are being made independent of any other ongoing matter."
But the newspaper reported that Francis had filed a gender-based pay discrimination complaint against the company which had gone into arbitration when she was taken off the air.
The Times reported that Francis' complaint specifically said she was underpaid compared to her male colleagues, something the Fox News spokesperson did not comment on, saying the matter was confidential.
Earlier this year, the New York City Commission on Human Rights fined Fox News $1 million for violations of laws protecting against sexual harassment and job retaliation.
The fine grouped four separate "willful and wanton" violations that each carried a maximum penalty of $250,000.
The penalty, the largest in the commission's history, stemmed from an investigation that began after network chief Roger Ailes, now deceased, was ousted following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
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