A former hairstylist who worked at the Los Angeles studios for FOX Sports has filed a lawsuit alleging various claims against Charlie Dixon, executive vice president of content at FS1, along with on-air host Joy Taylor and former commentator Skip Bayless. The 42-page lawsuit, which was filed in the Superior Court of California and first obtained by Front Office Sports, featured several allegations by plaintiff Noushin Faraji. The document also contains a class-action provision, affirming that FOX Sports has not paid all employees minimum wage or sufficient overtime wages.
Attorneys on behalf of Faraji explained that she is looking for unspecified monetary damages and demanded a jury trial. In addition to listing Dixon, Taylor and Bayless as defendants, the lawsuit claims that FOX Sports executives Mark Silverman and Eric Shanks could be named as defendants based on discovery. The suit also alleges that Silverman, Shanks and the FOX legal team “worked hard to protect perpetrators by forcing individuals who were witnesses to or targets of misconduct and/or harassment to sign nondisclosure agreements upon separation from employment.”
“We take these allegations seriously and have no further comment at this time given this pending litigation,” FOX Sports said in a statement provided to Front Office Sports.
Faraji started working at FOX Sports as a part-time employee in 2012 and was hired as a full-time hairstylist four years later. After meeting Taylor in March 2016 shortly after her move to Los Angeles from Miami, she befriended her and went out for a drink and Santa Monica. Taylor arrived with Dixon, and as he accompanied them on future outings, she suspected that the colleagues were sleeping with one another. Later in the summer, a new show with Bayless and former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe was beginning and Taylor, despite having “very little TV experience,” was added to be the moderator.
“Mr. Bayless later disclosed to Ms. Faraji that he did not want Ms. Taylor on the show, but Mr. Dixon was adamant that Ms. Taylor should star,” the lawsuit reads. “At first, Mr. Dixon arranged a dinner between Mr. Bayless and Ms. Taylor where she arrived in provocative clothing and acted in a provocative manner. When that did not change Mr. Bayless’ opinion of Ms. Taylor, Mr. Dixon asked him to approve of her as a favor to him. Reluctantly, Mr. Bayless agreed to do so as a favor to his friend.”
An inappropriate interaction between Dixon and Faraji was described earlier in the lawsuit as “unsolicited touching,” something that left her mortified. When she turned to Taylor, she informed her to “get over it” and that Dixon was the reason Faraji had her job. It is also alleged that Dixon declined to extend the contract of an anonymous female talent member for refusing to have sex with him. The lawsuit claims that he was doing this to other women talent, Faraji should warn Taylor to be careful and that a talk show host had recently reported him. While conveying what she was told, Taylor replied that “no one gives a f***” about this anonymous female talent or talk show host.
“Ms. Faraji later observed that Ms. Taylor’s remark appeared accurate, as no actions were taken to address the concerns raised,” the lawsuit said. “If it was not already apparent, it became even more clear that Fox enabled high-ranking individuals to abuse their authority, exerting undue control over female talent and employees.”
After Bayless requested Faraji to give him a weekly haircut in the makeup room, he allegedly started to find reasons to touch Faraji. Uncomfortable with this physical contact, she would make excuses to leave, and was eventually referred to as “voluptuous” by the Undisputed co-host.
Deciding to remain kind to Bayless to avoid risking her job, she allegedly put up with it and later divulged that she had issues with her left ovary and could have cancer. Instead of Bayless taking pity on her, he said that he wanted to be with her and offered her $1.5 million to have sex. Following other advances and text exchanges, Bayless accused Faraji of having a relationship with Sharpe and demanded she come to his car after the show, which she refused.
Four days later, Faraji placed a recording device in the makeup room and started speaking with Bayless. Knowing that the room was always recorded, he stated that the room was bugged and said that he would hate for her to lose the job but cannot be “doing a big thing with my archrival.” Responding that being polite to Sharpe is part of her job, Bayless called “bulls***” and revealed that he has loved her for six years.
Throughout the rest of the lawsuit, there are further accusations against Taylor, details of an internal investigation and events that led to her firing. The final interaction between Bayless and Faraji took place this past summer in which he described a new opportunity he was expecting to take part in outside of FOX. Bayless allegedly told Faraji that “he fantasizes about having sex with her and asked how much money it would take for her to have sex with him.” Six days after Undisputed was canceled, FOX stated that “they can only afford to have one hairdresser work on all three shows (a new morning show, Speak, and Undisputed) and fired her.
“Ms. Faraji brings forth this action because for over a decade at Fox, she was forced to endure a misogynistic, racist, and ableist workplace where executives and talent were allowed to physically and verbally abuse workers with impunity,” the lawsuit articulates. “When Ms. Faraji and others came forward to report the wrongdoing, instead of addressing their concerns, Fox retaliated against them while the perpetrators and those who protected them were inexplicably promoted. This case thus represents yet another in a long line of cases chronicling the toxic culture at Fox, marked by bad faith promises and repeated failures to address a poisonous and entrenched patriarchy.”
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