Gretchen Carlson's $20 Million And Some Of The Biggest Sexual Harassment Payouts Ever

Twenty-First Century Fox Inc FOXA’s Fox News has agreed to a $20 million settlement with former anchor Gretchen Carlson over a sexual harassment lawsuit she filed earlier this year against former boss Roger Ailes. The settlement was a tough blow for Fox and its investors, but it’s not nearly the largest sexual harassment payout of all time.

Here’s a look at the four largest.

Fox News (2016) - $20 million

Carlson alleged in her lawsuit that Ailes “unlawfully retaliated against Calrson and sabotaged her career because she refused sexual advances and complained about severe and pervasive sexual harassment.” Fox may not be quite out of the woods yet. Carlson’s attorney claims that dozens of Fox News employees revealed similar experiences with Ailes in the days following Carlson’s lawsuit filing.

Aaron’s Inc AAN (2011) - $40 million

Aaron’s employee Ashley Alford claimed that her store’s manager had repeatedly harassed her and assaulted her for a year. A jury originally ordered Aaron’s to pay $95 million in damages, but the damages were reduced to $40 million due to a federal cap.

Mercy General Hospital (2012) - $168 million

Physician’s assistant Ani Chopourain claimed that doctors she worked with repeatedly pressured her for sex. She claimed that one doctor even stuck her with a needle and called her a “stupid chick.”

Novartis AG (ADR) NVS (2010) - $250 million

This huge ruling was technically on the grounds of sexual discrimination, but a number of employees also complained of harassment as well. One female employee claimed she was yelled at for leaving a long meeting to go to the bathroom, and another top-performing female sales person was told not to apply for management jobs after she had a baby.

Image: mroach, Flickr