Malcolm Maddox at WXYZ: $100M Lawsuit, Departure, and Settlement

Malcolm Maddox was a morning news anchor at WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) in Detroit who left the station in March 2018 after former reporter Tara Edwards filed a $100 million federal sexual harassment lawsuit against WXYZ and its parent company, Scripps. The case alleged years of harassment by Maddox and a cover-up by station management, and it was resolved through an undisclosed out-of-court settlement in 2020.¹

Who Malcolm Maddox Was and What He Was Accused Of

Maddox anchored WXYZ’s morning newscast in Detroit. The conduct at the center of the case, according to the lawsuit later filed by Tara Edwards, spanned roughly five years and included repeated attempts to kiss her at work, requests for sexual acts, and showing her sexually explicit photos and videos, including images of his own genitalia and nude pictures of a female colleague. The complaint said he sometimes disguised the images by telling Edwards to look at a “work email” on his phone. It also alleged he told coworkers he and Edwards were having an affair and claimed they had sex during a work assignment in West Palm Beach, Florida.²

FOX 2 reported speaking with multiple women who had worked with Maddox and who confirmed the allegations about his behavior. Former employees told reporters he had harassed “many” people and that complaints were ignored by management.³

The 2015 Complaint and Internal Investigation

In January 2015, Edwards filed a formal written complaint with WXYZ management. The station’s internal investigation found that Maddox had “engaged in inappropriate communications with coworkers that did not conform to the policies of WXYZ or its parent company The E.W. Scripps Co.”⁴ The investigation also determined that his conduct extended beyond Edwards to other female employees, including inappropriate texts, sexually explicit comments, and pictures of his genitalia.⁵

Maddox received a two-week unpaid suspension. When he returned, he was promoted to morning news anchor. Edwards was moved to the day shift.⁶ Edwards, who had worked at the station since 2011, left WXYZ and the broadcast journalism field in December 2016. Her lawsuit later characterized that departure as a “constructive discharge,” meaning she was forced out by intolerable conditions; Scripps maintained she “left the company voluntarily in December 2016 for personal reasons.”⁷

The Story Goes Public in December 2017

On December 6, 2017, Detroit pastor Rev. W.J. Rideout III held a press conference at All God’s People Church accusing WXYZ of covering up sexual harassment complaints against Maddox for years. Rideout said Vice President and General Manager Mike Murri had been informed of the behavior but failed to act meaningfully, and claimed that “numerous other employees” had endured explicit pictures and sexual innuendos from Maddox.⁸

Within two hours, WXYZ placed Maddox on administrative leave and announced an investigation.⁹ Scripps completed its review within weeks and concluded there was no basis for additional action against Maddox beyond his 2015 discipline. The company also said it found no evidence that Murri had covered up wrongdoing.¹⁰ Maddox returned to the anchor chair on December 29, 2017, after a 16-day leave. On air, he said, “I am far from perfect. I have made mistakes in my personal as well as professional life.”¹¹

The $100 Million Federal Lawsuit

On March 6, 2018, attorney Geoffrey Fieger filed a $100 million federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Tara Edwards in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The suit named WXYZ-TV and Scripps Media, Inc. as defendants.¹² The complaint alleged Maddox’s conduct created a “hostile and offensive employment environment,” and it detailed the harassment, defamation, and explicit material described above.²

At a press conference at his Southfield offices, Fieger called the 2015 internal investigation “an investigation in name only” and said it was “really an attempt to exonerate the perpetrator and allow him to continue in his position at the expense of all the suffering Tara had to undergo.”¹² He said station executives believed the anchor was “more important” than the victim and that former executives were prepared to substantiate Edwards’ claims.²

Scripps’ Response and Maddox’s Departure from WXYZ

Scripps disputed the lawsuit’s account of Edwards’ exit and pointed to its earlier investigations as evidence it had taken appropriate action. In early 2018, the company engaged an outside independent investigator, who it said found no evidence of further misconduct by Maddox after the 2015 discipline.¹³ The station pulled Maddox off the air again “for the time being” after the suit was filed.

On March 22, 2018, WXYZ confirmed Maddox was “no longer employed” at the station. Scripps did not explain the circumstances of his exit or why he was leaving if its own investigations had found no further misconduct.⁷

The Settlement

The lawsuit was resolved through an out-of-court settlement and officially dismissed on February 3, 2020. The terms were not disclosed. Both of Edwards’ attorneys, Geoffrey Fieger and Michael Hanna, declined to comment on the resolution.¹

1
Deadline Detroit. Ex-WXYZ Reporter Tara Edwards Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Involving Anchor
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Detroit Free Press. Fieger: WXYZ Covered Up Malcom Maddox’s Sexual Harassment
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FOX 2 Detroit. WXYZ Anchor Malcom Maddox Placed on Leave Amid Claims of Sexual Harassment
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WXYZ. Scripps Issues Statement Following Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
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WXYZ. WXYZ’s Malcom Maddox Taken Off the Air After Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
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CBS News Detroit. WXYZ Anchor Malcolm Maddox Returns to Air After Sexual Harassment Claims
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Detroit Free Press. Malcom Maddox WXYZ Sexual Harassment
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Detroit News. WXYZ Anchor Placed on Leave Amid Harassment Allegations
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WXYZ. Detroit Reverend Calls Out Media Outlet Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
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Detroit Free Press. Malcom Maddox WXYZ Sexual Harassment
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Deadline Detroit. WXYZ Anchor Malcom Maddox Returns After Sexual Misconduct Inquiry
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ClickOnDetroit. Former Coworker Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Detroit News Anchor Malcom Maddox
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FOX 2 Detroit. Former Reporter Sues WXYZ for $100M, Says Malcom Maddox Sexually Harassed Her for Years