Former Fox 2 anchor Taryn Asher filed a complaint in federal court on Wednesday alleging sex-based discrimination and retaliation by the TV station.
The 26-page complaint, which names Fox TV and WJBK-TV (Channel 2) as defendants, alleges that Asher’s firing in November 2025 was a direct response to ongoing concerns Asher expressed to Fox 2 leadership regarding the unequal treatment she claimed she was experiencing compared to her male co-anchor, Roop Raj.
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More specifically, Asher alleged that she was frequently excluded in conversations about guest-segment interviews and as a result she consistently received less guest interview segment opportunities than Raj on the evening news.
The lawsuit also suggests that around the time Paul McGonagle was hired as general manager of Fox 2 in July 2025, Asher noticed “an alarming pattern of female employees in leadership positions being terminated and replaced by men.”
Despite meeting with McGonagle and Assistant News Director Sean Lee about her concerns in September 2025, Asher alleges that the inequal distribution of guest interviews between herself and Raj continued, prompting her to send an email to McGonagle in October stating that she was “concerned about the lack of balance and equity, particularly compared to my co-anchor who holds the same responsibilities but has a more accommodating schedule.”
The complaint also alleges that while McGonagle discussed with Asher the possibility of relaunching a previous program called “Let it Rip” — assigning her as host of the show — leadership failed to offer her the same scheduling accommodations given to Raj to allow him to anchor the evening news and host an additional show called “The Pulse.” As a result, the complaint says, management decided to put the “Let it Rip” reboot “on hold.”
On Nov. 4, Asher was placed on leave “pending an investigation into alleged complaints of ‘egregious behavior,’” the complaint stated. The complaint says she was fired from the TV station weeks later based on accusations that Asher had engaged in alleged “outbursts,” which she flatly denies in the complaint.
Asher, who worked as an anchor for Fox 2 for 18 years, is seeking lost past and future wages, lost benefits, and punitive damages as a result of the mental and emotional distress and loss of professional reputation her firing caused, according to the complaint.
Local 4 has reached out to Fox 2 for comment.