Malcolm Maddox Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against WXYZ

The Malcolm Maddox sexual harassment lawsuit was a $100 million federal civil rights case filed in March 2018 by former WXYZ-TV reporter Tara Edwards against the Detroit news anchor’s employer, Scripps Media, Inc. Edwards alleged years of near-daily harassment by Maddox and accused the station of protecting him after an internal investigation confirmed the conduct. Maddox was pulled off the air and left WXYZ within weeks of the filing. The case never went to trial. It settled on undisclosed terms and was dismissed on January 30, 2020.¹

Who Sued and What Was Alleged

Edwards filed suit on March 6, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was represented by Michigan attorney Geoffrey Fieger and sought $100 million in damages. The complaint covered her time at WXYZ from June 2011 through her departure at the end of December 2016.²

Edwards described what she called “almost daily sexual harassment.” The lawsuit alleged Maddox repeatedly tried to kiss her at work, asked her to engage in graphic sexual acts, sent her explicit photos of himself, tricked her into viewing sexually explicit images and videos, and spread false rumors to coworkers that he and Edwards were having an affair involving “deviant sex acts.”³

The complaint brought three counts under Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act: sexual harassment and hostile work environment resulting in constructive discharge, sexual discrimination, and retaliation. Edwards said the station denied her anchor opportunities, changed her schedule, and passed her over for promotion after she complained, and that she was effectively forced to resign on December 31, 2016. She left broadcast journalism.⁴

What the Station Knew

According to the complaint, Edwards filed a formal internal complaint on January 28, 2015. WXYZ’s investigation confirmed that Maddox had engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct toward Edwards and other female employees, and Maddox himself admitted to the behavior. The discipline was a two-week unpaid suspension.³

The lawsuit alleged the station then promoted Maddox to morning news anchor and shifted Edwards to the day schedule. Edwards’ team called the response “lax” and “ineffective” and argued the promotion validated the rumors Maddox had spread. At the press conference announcing the suit, Fieger accused WXYZ executives of a cover-up, saying they “wanted their anchor, who is an African American, to stay in place rather than Tara.” He called the 2015 internal review “an investigation in name only” and “an attempt to exonerate the perpetrator.”⁵

How the Allegations Became Public

The controversy broke months before the lawsuit. On December 6, 2017, Rev. W.J. Rideout III, pastor of Our God’s People Church in Detroit, held a news conference accusing Maddox of inappropriate behavior and accusing WXYZ General Manager Mike Murri of covering up harassment complaints. Rideout also raised allegations against co-anchor Stephen Clark, which were later described as “ambiguous.”⁶

Edwards said she did not contact Rideout or ask him to speak for her, but credited him with “giving me a voice when I did not think I was brave enough to do it myself.” WXYZ placed Maddox on administrative leave after the press conference and opened new inquiries.⁷

How Scripps Responded

Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson said the company was “dedicated to maintaining respectful workplace environments” and took harassment allegations “very seriously.” Scripps acknowledged the 2015 investigation and the two-week suspension but maintained it acted appropriately. On Edwards’ departure, the company said she “was not fired or forced out” and left voluntarily in December 2016 “for personal reasons.”⁸

Scripps pointed to two later rounds of review. Its own internal follow-up after the December 2017 press conference produced no reports warranting additional discipline. An independent outside investigator brought in early 2018 likewise found no evidence of further misconduct by Maddox after the 2015 discipline. The company also cleared Clark and Murri.⁹

How the Case Ended

When the lawsuit landed in March 2018, WXYZ again took Maddox off the air, saying it wanted to “avoid any further distraction” from its journalistic mission. About two weeks later, the station confirmed he was no longer employed there.²

Edwards and Scripps reached an out-of-court settlement. The suit was dismissed on January 30, 2020. Neither side disclosed the terms or any dollar figure.¹⁰

What Happened to Malcolm Maddox

Maddox did not return to television after leaving WXYZ. He worked as an audio-visual manager, earned an A+ certification in IT, was a certified lifeguard, and played bass in a band called Big Papa Boogie. He died on May 21, 2024, at age 53, following a battle with colon cancer.¹¹

1
Deadline Detroit. Ex-WXYZ Reporter Tara Edwards Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Involving Anchor
2
Detroit Free Press. Former WXYZ Reporter Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
3
Detroit News. Channel 7 Anchor Maddox Harassed Colleague, Suit Claims
4
CaseMine. Edwards v. Scripps Media Inc., Civil Action 18-10735
5
Detroit Free Press. Fieger Accuses WXYZ of Cover-Up in Malcom Maddox Sexual Harassment Case
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Detroit Free Press. Malcom Maddox WXYZ Sexual Harassment Allegations
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WXYZ. WXYZ’s Malcom Maddox Taken Off the Air After Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
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WXYZ. Scripps Issues Statement Following Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
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WXYZ. E.W. Scripps Completes Investigation Into WXYZ Harassment Claims
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Metro Times. Former WXYZ Reporter Settles $100M Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
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Tribute Archive. Malcolm X. Maddox Obituary