Fired Fox 2 Detroit news anchor Taryn Asher sued the TV station in federal court Wednesday, alleging she was subjected to illegal retaliation after reporting and complaining about Fox’s discriminatory conduct.
The lawsuit offers a gossipy, behind-the-scenes look at life inside a big city TV station, portraying WJBK-TV (Channel 2)’s Southfield studio as a den of intrigue with big egos, backstabbing and favoritism that pitted Asher against a colleague, anchor Roop Raj.
In the 26-page lawsuit, which lists as defendants Los Angeles-based Fox Television Stations, LLC and New World Communications of Detroit d/b/a WJBK-TV, Asher wants a money judgment for lost past and future wages, lost benefits, mental and emotional distress damages, loss of professional reputation and esteem, as well as punitive damages including costs and attorneys’ fees.
Several allegations involve the channel’s show “Let It Rip” and favoritism given to Raj following the hire of Paul McGonagle as the station’s new general manager in July 2025.
“Around the time of Mr. McGonagle’s hiring, Asher noticed an alarming pattern of female employees in leadership positions being terminated and replaced by men and, further, noticed that Fox treated Asher’s male counterpartand co-anchor, Roop Raj, more favorably than her by, among other things, providing Mr. Raj with more guest interview segment opportunities on the evening news than Asher,” her lawyer, Tad Roumayah, wrote in the lawsuit.
Raj and McGonagle did not respond immediately to messages from The Detroit News seeking comment Wednesday.
The lawsuit was filed three months after Asher filed a complaint against the station with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging gender discrimination. The complaint was signed on March 16 and indicated she was on an indefinite suspension at that point. Her attorney said she had been fired in November.
The 50-year-old Birmingham resident worked at Fox 2 for 18 years, most recently as an anchor for the station’s evening news broadcasts at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.
The EEOC complaint alleged Fox subjected Asher to less-favorable treatment than male colleagues who received more job opportunities, desirable assignments, and a more favorable and accommodating schedule.
On multiple occasions, Asher complained to Fox verbally and in writing, outlining the alleged disparate treatment, according to the EEOC complaint. In response, Fox allegedly retaliated and reduced her responsibilities in comparison to her male colleagues by “erroneously accusing her of unprofessional conduct, and by subjecting Ms. Asher to a baseless ‘investigation,'” according to the complaint.
Matt Turner, Asher’s attorney, previously told The News that Fox told his client she was fired in November because of her behavior in the newsroom.
In February, Asher wrote on social media that she was “working through an unexpected work-related matter.”
She also said at the time that she was in the process of finalizing her divorce from former TV news personality Jason Carr. Asher and Carr met while they were both at the ABC affiliate in Flint. They were married in 2007 and have a daughter together.
rsnell@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Fired Fox 2 Detroit anchor Taryn Asher files sex discrimination case
Reporting by Robert Snell, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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