U.S. Court Rejects Former Fox News Producer's Wrongful Termination Lawsuit

A federal judge has dismissed a wrongful termination lawsuit brought by a former Fox News producer. Jason Donner, who worked as a reporter and producer in the network's Washington bureau, was terminated on September 28, 2022, two days after reporting sick. In 2023, Donner filed legal action in Washington, D.C., alleging his dismissal was retaliation for challenging the accuracy of Fox News's reporting on former President Donald Trump's unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ruled that Donner did not comply with company policies and that his actions were not safeguarded by the District of Columbia's sick leave legislation. The judge also noted Donner was an at-will employee and his case did not establish a public policy that would prevent his termination over objections to network programming. A similar point was referenced regarding a prior dismissal of part of Donner's claim by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in 2024. Fox News stated the lawsuit was without merit and expressed satisfaction with the court's decision. The lawsuit referenced internal criticism at Fox News regarding journalists not considering the sentiments of its pro-Trump audience after Joe Biden's election. These remarks were supported by evidence from the Dominion Voting Systems defamation case against Fox News, which was resolved in April for $787.5 million. Donner's legal representative did not provide an immediate comment.