Latest news with #traumaSurvivors
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman Who Accused Ed Henry of Rape Settles Lawsuit Against Former Fox News Reporter: 'I Turned Pain into Purpose'
Following a grueling five-year legal battle, Jennifer Eckhart is hoping her work will help survivors of trauma reinvent their own lives. Court documents filed in the Southern District of New York on Sunday, June 15, obtained by PEOPLE, indicate that she settled her 2020 lawsuit against Ed Henry, in which she had accused the former Fox News reporter of rape. Eckhart, who formerly worked for Fox, claimed in the suit that Henry groomed her beginning when she was 24 before allegedly raping her when she worked at the network. She says a civil trial was finally approaching before the settlement was agreed. Related: Ed Henry Accused of Rape, Trying to Make Fox News Staffer His 'Sex Slave' in Lawsuit 'This has been an exhaustive, retraumatizing, five-year legal battle with incredible challenges that at times I almost felt was unable to bear,' Eckhart exclusively tells PEOPLE. 'With this settlement in place, a weight has now been lifted from my shoulders and my passion to support fellow trauma survivors has been renewed.' In her lawsuit, which was obtained by PEOPLE and named both Henry and Fox News as defendants, Eckhart alleged that she was 'violently raped while helpless and restrained in metal handcuffs.' Henry was fired by Fox News in July 2020, weeks before the lawsuit was filed. In an answer to the complaint, Henry denied raping Eckhart. He now works for Newsmax. In March, a federal judge dismissed Fox News as a defendant, though Eckhart says she is planning on appealing the dismissal. Following the settlement, Henry's attorney Gary Rosen provided a statement to PEOPLE. "This matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties, and the parties are moving on with their lives,' Rosen said. Though the lawsuit has now been settled, Eckhart, says her work is not done, noting that she runs a non-profit, The Reinvented Project, which helps trauma survivors through animal-assisted therapy. Eckhart worked for Fox for nearly a decade, working as a reporter and producer. She left the company following her lawsuit, which she said was done to bring accountability. She began hosting the podcast, REINVENTED with Jen Eckhart, to 'give a voice to the voiceless,' and has previously featured interviews with high-profile guests like Billy Corgan, who spoke about 'generational trauma.' Related: Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan Discusses His Childhood Trauma with His Kids: I 'Dole It Out Where Appropriate' 'I turned pain into purpose,' Eckhart says. 'I think the overarching theme, as far as this case not going to trial, is that survivors do not require validation from a courtroom to emerge stronger than what tries to break them.' Eckhart is now seeking systemic change as her legal battle turns to her legal appeal of the network's dismissal from the lawsuit. For Eckhart, systemic change means more safeguards for media staffers who lodge 'good-faith complaints.' The lawsuit claimed that Fox News was aware that Henry had allegedly 'engaged in sexual misconduct' dating back to 2017, three years before he was ultimately fired on the precipice of Eckhart's eventual civil complaint. The judge overseeing the case ultimately ruled to dismiss Fox News as a defendant. 'This is a turning point in corporate America where we are putting standards on notice,' Eckhart says. 'Whether it be sweeping complaints under the rug or not taking better precautions and having better safety measures in place to protect their employees from situations such as the one that I suffered.' Eckhart says she is fighting to win her appeal and is intent on obtaining accountability. 'I'm not here for headlines,' she says. 'I'm here for justice.' If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to . Read the original article on People
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Johns Hopkins Hospital celebrates remarkable recoveries, life-saving medical professionals
Johns Hopkins Hospital is celebrating thousands of inspiring recovery journeys, and the medical care teams who helped save their lives. To mark the occasion, the hospital held a special event on Wednesday in honor if National Trauma Survivors Day. Survivors shared their personal stories of recovery and reunited with the care teams who played a vital role in their care. "They say it takes a village, and you all proved it" Mark McKenzie did not know if he would survive being shot in 2024. "As you can see, I'm blessed to have many of the most important people in my life here today, and I'm quite certain they all only came because they thought it was a roast," said Mark McKenzie, a trauma survivor. The joy on this stage means much more because on September 13, 2024, McKenzie was rushed to the hospital after being shot in the chest and abdomen. Johns Hopkins Hospital "Medic one arrived in less than four minutes, which is a very quick response," said Angela Taury, an EMS captain with the Baltimore County Fire Department. "So not only did we have to respond to a critical injury, but it was also an active crime scene, so we had to work quickly but carefully with the police. You know, they're guiding us." Doctors say McKenzie required immediate surgery and later underwent liver repair, gallbladder removal, and vein reconstruction. "I also firmly believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that God intervened on that Friday the 13th," McKenzie said. "We had to put a plan together, we had to go to work, and the surgery was difficult, and the recovery was long. I'm thrilled to be here today. Mark's at home with his family, thriving, and it's an incredible victory for us and for you," said Dr. Chris Shubert, a hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The road to recovery McKenzie spent 47 days in the hospital, with 38 of those days in the intensive care unit. On Wednesday, he was in a room filled with the nurses, doctors, family, and a long list of friends, saying, "I survived." "They say it takes a village, and you all proved it," McKenzie said. "They gave me back, they gave me back life to be with my wife and my kids." Reunited with the survivors From the emergency crews who responded to the initial 911 call to the medical care team who stood by his bedside, everyone had a chance to reunite with the patient who never gave up. Johns Hopkins Hospital "But rarely do we get to follow up or see what happens afterward. So to be here with you today is truly meaningful," said Taury. "Mark has climbed through every step or setback of his medical journey with tenacity and a sense of humor," said Amy Lowe, a physical therapist at Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network Center in Timonium. "You faced a traumatic event that really would have brought most of us to her knees," Jennifer Zanni, a long-time physical therapist at Johns Hopkins Rehabilitation Network Center. "And [you] really have shown that through healing, is really not about forgetting the trauma, but learning to carry it in a way that allows you your life to move forward." More survivors honored The event also recognized the team and survival stories of 14-year-old Ethan McKinnon and 24-year-old John Paredes. McKinnon sustained severe injuries when the car he was in with his family was rear-ended at high speed. Ejected from the vehicle, Ethan suffered aortic, spinal, and small bowel injuries. He required spinal fusion surgeries, had a breathing tube for several days and needed feeding support. Paredes was admitted in March 2024, with elevated eye pressure and blurry vision as a result of an elastic band hitting his eye during boxing training. He was diagnosed with indeterminate stage angle recession glaucoma and vitreous prolapse of the right eye, requiring several eye surgeries. Together, all of the trauma and burn centers at Hopkins have treated more than 5,093 patients since 2024, including the three they honored on National Trauma Survivors Day.
