Fox Hairstylist Claims Sexual Harassment – 'Period'

May 2, 2003 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Fox Sports Network's "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" has been slapped with a sexual harassment suit by one of its hairstylists.

Lisa Brescher alleges in her lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, that the show’s co-host, and former NBA player, John Salley grabbed her buttocks and made crude sexual remarks, among other unspecified inappropriate actions. Further, when Brescher told one of the show’s other stars, Tom Arnold, he retaliated by banning her from the set, according to a Reuters report.

Salley denied the accusations saying the claims have no merit. Fox agreed with Salley, saying the network had conducted a thorough investigation of Brescher’s allegations and that none of them could be corroborated. “On the contrary, it appears that she herself engaged in inappropriate and unprofessional behavior at work,” a Fox spokesman told Reuters.

“Fox takes pride in providing a workplace free of all forms of workplace harassment. Unfortunately, this is a case where a disgruntled worker thinks there is money to be made by making outlandish accusations against a high-profile company and its stars,” the spokesman added.

Arnold is taking the allegations one step further. His spokeswoman, Staci Wolfe, said the actor has a “no-tolerance policy” toward sexual harassment and called the complaints “frivolous and without merit.” Wolfe said Arnold would defend himself against the allegations and “intends to pursue a claim for malicious prosecution against Ms. Brescher and her attorneys.”

Elaborating on Brescher’s dismissal from the set, Arnold’s publicist said she was kept off the set “because her repeated arguing and excessive talking with other staff members could be heard on the stage while they were taping the show.”

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