This story has been updated with additional information.
Former Fox 2 news evening anchor Taryn Asher has filed a lawsuit against the station for sex discrimination.
The lawsuit alleges Fox 2 gave her co-anchor, Roop Raj, more opportunities to interview guests and did not adjust her schedule equally when offered to anchor a similar show. She was fired shortly after she complained of the unequal treatment, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by the Free Press.
She has been off-air since November 2025, when the station allegedly fired her a day after she complained of unequal treatment during election coverage.
A spokesperson for Fox did not immediately respond to Free Press request for comment.
Asher began to notice a pattern of female employees in leadership positions being terminated and replaced by men, and that Fox treated her co-anchor Raj “more favorably than her” in or around July 2025, when the station hired Paul McGonagle as its new General Manager, according to the lawsuit.
Dispute over guest interviews and scheduling
According to the lawsuit, Raj and members of the leadership team were engaging in conversations about assigning guest interviews without Asher present, and Raj was receiving more guest-segment interviews and opportunities than Asher was.
Asher first met with Assistant News Director Sean Lee to discuss these observations in September 2025. Later in the month, she held a meeting with McGonagle, saying she had recently denied the same opportunities as Raj and advocated for equal treatment for herself and Raj, according to the lawsuit.
In the meeting, McGonagle outlined the possibility of bringing back the “Let it Rip” program five days a week and assigning Asher as the host, and Asher expressed interest.
In October, Fox 2 hired Brooks Blanton as the news director. Asher met with McGonagle and Blanton in late October to discuss “Let it Rip” and that they would adjust her schedule not to anchor the Friday evening news to accommodate. Raj had a similar accommodation for his show “The Pulse.” Later, Asher was told she would not get the accommodation.
What happened on election night 2025
On election night, Nov. 4, 2025, Raj was scheduled for all guest-interview segments for the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. shows, which were to be divided evenly between the two anchors. Asher spoke with multiple producers about this that night, according to the lawsuit.
On Nov. 5, Asher was placed on leave pending an investigation into alleged complaints of “egregious behavior” based on Asher’s communication with employees that night, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Raj contacted Fox’s human resources department and labeled Asher as “jealous” and that her complaints of sex-based discrimination were Asher having an issue with “men vs. women.”
On Nov. 14, Asher was told she engaged in unprofessional conduct using profanity.
Timeline of Asher’s complaint and termination
On Nov. 21, Asher was contacted by phone and told that Nov. 21 would be her last day at Fox 2, according to the lawsuit. She was not provided a termination letter. The union attorney contacted Fox on Asher’s behalf. Fox has since informed Asher that her employment will end in June 2026.
On March 16, Asher filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
On June 3, Asher filed the lawsuit.
Lawsuit alleges unequal investigations
In other circumstances, Fox 2 has not suspended or terminated male employees for unprofessional behavior, according to the lawsuit:
Background on Taryn Asher
She holds a journalism degree from Michigan State University and has won eleven local Emmy Awards for broadcasting excellence, including the Emmy for best news anchor.
Asher has been a news anchor on Fox 2 since 2007. She became the lead news anchor for the evening news in 2022.
Contact Natalie Davies at ndavies@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-anchor Taryn Asher files lawsuit against Fox 2 for gender discrimination
Reporting by Natalie Davies, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Natalie Davies, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
