Former OAN anchor settles complaint alleging co-worker accused her of being a Hitler supporter

Yahoo

25-03-2025

A former anchor for One America News has settled a complaint with the far-right network that alleges she was subjected to a hostile work environment, discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination.
In her complaint, Jessamyn Dodd also claims that another co-worker 'falsely reported' to the network's human resources director that Dodd was 'essentially a Neo-Nazi and Adolph Hitler supporter,' an allegation she said was 'patently false and especially offensive' considering her Jewish heritage.
Dodd, who worked as a weekend anchor for the Trump-boosting channel from August 2022 until she was fired in the fall of 2023, claimed in her suit that after she complained to the network about her colleague's 'discriminatory conduct' and the hostility it created in the workplace, OAN eventually terminated her in retaliation rather than remedy the situation.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and Dodd declined to comment other than to say that the case had been resolved and she was satisfied.
Filed earlier this year in San Diego County Superior Court, near One America News' headquarters, Dodd named OAN writer Katie Smith and Herring Network — the corporate parent of the channel – as defendants in the complaint.
'After becoming one of Defendants' most reliable anchors, DODD was subjected to workplace racism and discriminatory treatment by her coworker KATIE SMITH, including false accusations that DODD was a Neo-Nazi supporter — claims that were especially offensive given DODD's Jewish heritage,' the complaint stated. 'When DODD complained about the hostile work environment, DEFENDANT HERRING NETWORKS, INC. failed to take any remedial action and instead terminated her employment in retaliation.'
In addition to her allegations of workplace harassment and discrimination, Dodd also accused the network of wage theft and unlawful employment practices under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, claiming that the company failed to provide proper meal and rest periods and furnish compliant wage statements.
'DODD was regularly forced to work through breaks due to understaffing and a demanding schedule that required her to prepare and anchor multiple shows per day without adequate support staff,' the complaint asserted. 'When DODD requested accommodations and complained about these violations, DEFENDANT HERRING NETWORKS, INC. responded dismissively and failed to take any corrective action.'
Noting that she is 'a multi-racial woman of African American, Caucasian, and Jewish descent,' Dodd said in her complaint that throughout her employment, she was 'subjected to a hostile work environment, including workplace racism and snide comments from Defendant Smith, a Caucasian woman who worked alongside' Dodd.
At one point, according to the complaint, Dodd alleged that Smith told the network's human resources accounting and payroll director and other co-workers that Dodd was 'essentially a Neo-Nazi and Adolph Hitler supporter — claims that were patently false and especially offensive given PLAINTIFF's Jewish heritage'
Claiming that the 'false statements severely damaged' her professional and personal reputation 'by knowingly and maliciously disseminating and/or publishing false statements' that disparaged her character, Dodd accused the network of brushing off her complaints about Smith's behavior.
'Instead, shortly after PLAINTIFF's complaints, DEFENDANT HERRING terminated her employment in retaliation, in explicit violation of California law and public policy,' the complaint stated.
Prior to her termination, Dodd claimed she was continually overworked and the network refused to allow her to take 'proper rest breaks' throughout her employment at OAN. She also said in the complaint that she was forced to take on additional roles due to the network's inability to retain staff.
'The lack of breaks stemmed from DEFENDANT HERRING's continuous understaffing and high turnover rate, which forced PLAINTIFF to perform numerous tasks outside her job description without additional compensation,' the complaint alleged. 'PLAINTIFF requested more coverage and accommodations on numerous occasions, such as co-hosts for her shows or longer break periods between shows, but these requests were never granted.'
The suit continued: 'When PLAINTIFF addressed the lack of breaks and the resulting mental and physical fatigue, her supervisors and coworkers responded disparagingly, claiming she should not worry since 'no one even watches the news on weekends.''
Representatives for One America News and Smith did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
OAN, which now has an almost non-existent footprint on television after losing all its major cable carriers, is no stranger to settling lawsuits. Last year, the network settled the defamation case brought by voting software firm Smartmatic, which accused the hard-right channel of trumpeting baseless conspiracy theories that voting machines rigged the 2020 election against Donald Trump.
The network also reached a settlement in September 2023 with a former Dominion Voting Machines executive over false claims that he and Dominion had engaged in a massive election fraud scheme. Additionally, as part of a 2022 settlement agreement with two Georgia election workers caught up in vote-rigging conspiracy theories, OAN ran a segment acknowledging there was 'no widespread voter fraud' in the 2020 election.