The Michael Corn lawsuit was a 2021 sexual assault and hostile work environment case brought by former “Good Morning America” producer Kirstyn Crawford against Corn and ABC News in New York state court. After a trial judge dismissed the complaint in June 2022 and an appellate panel reinstated key claims in May 2023, the parties settled on October 6, 2023. Terms were not disclosed, and no admission of wrongdoing was reported.
Who Filed the Lawsuit and What It Alleged
Kirstyn Crawford, a producer at “Good Morning America,” filed suit on August 25, 2021.1NBC News. GMA Producer Said She Was Sexually Assaulted by Former Boss She alleged that Corn, then the show’s senior executive producer, groped and kissed her during a February 2015 business trip to Los Angeles to cover the Academy Awards.2Chicago Tribune. Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against NewsNation President Michael Corn Settled The complaint went further, alleging that Corn fostered a “pervasive toxic work environment” at ABC News marked by discrimination against women between 2010 and 2021.
Crawford also named ABC as a defendant. Her complaint alleged the network “looked the other way” after receiving complaints about Corn’s conduct for roughly a decade, learned of her own assault in 2017 and “did nothing,” and promoted Corn because of his “commercial success” while it “swept the alleged sexual assaults under the rug to protect its brand.”1NBC News. GMA Producer Said She Was Sexually Assaulted by Former Boss2Chicago Tribune. Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against NewsNation President Michael Corn Settled
Jill McClain’s Supporting Allegations
The complaint incorporated allegations from a second former ABC News producer, Jill McClain. She said Corn sexually assaulted her on two work trips: once in 2010 during a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to New York, and again in 2011 during a trip to London to cover the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.1NBC News. GMA Producer Said She Was Sexually Assaulted by Former Boss According to The Hollywood Reporter, McClain alleged that during one incident Corn “pinned her down on a hotel bed, pulled down the top of her jumpsuit, and fondled her bare breasts.”3The Hollywood Reporter. ABC Settles Harassment Suit From Ex-Good Morning America Producer McClain’s own claims were too old to support a separate legal action, but she participated in support of Crawford’s case.
How Corn Responded
Corn denied the allegations. His attorney called Crawford’s claims “demonstrably false.”4Deadline. ABC News Sexual Harassment Good Morning America Producer He called McClain’s account “fabricated” and pointed to what he described as her friendly contact with him afterward: “After I allegedly touched her on an airplane, Jill repeatedly booked our future air travel to sit next to me, she invited me to her wedding… and she repeatedly communicated to me and my wife that she missed me after leaving her position at ABC.”5NBC News. Ex-GMA Producer Claims Sexual Assault by Boss, Vows Appeal of Legal Setback In court filings he moved to dismiss the case and asked the judge to strike what he called “scandalous and unnecessary allegations” included “solely to harass and unduly prejudice Mr. Corn in the public eye.”6Variety. Michael Corn Seeks Dismissal of Good Morning America Assault Lawsuit He did not file a defamation countersuit.
Dismissal and Reversal on Appeal
On June 8, 2022, New York State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe dismissed the case. She ruled that the three-year statute of limitations on the 2015 assault claim had expired, and that the alleged conduct, while “boorish, ill-advised, and inappropriate,” did not rise to the level of a hostile work environment under the law.7New York Post. Sexual Assault Suit Against Ex-GMA Producer Michael Corn Dismissed The judge added that “much of the conduct, moreover, was not directed at plaintiff.” Most claims against ABC were dismissed as well, though Crawford was permitted to amend one surviving claim.8Deadline. ABC News Michael Corn Lawsuit Kirstyn Crawford
Crawford appealed. On May 16, 2023, the Appellate Division, First Department, unanimously reversed key portions of the ruling, reinstating the hostile work environment and sex discrimination claims against Corn and denying ABC’s motion to strike certain paragraphs from the amended complaint.9FindLaw. Crawford v. American Broadcasting Company Inc. The quid pro quo harassment claims remained dismissed.
The October 2023 Settlement
With reinstated claims heading back toward trial, the parties settled. A stipulation of dismissal “with prejudice,” meaning the case cannot be refiled, was filed in New York state court on October 6, 2023, signed by lawyers for Crawford, ABC, and Corn.10The Hollywood Reporter. ABC News Settles Sexual Harassment Suit Financial terms were not disclosed, and no admission of wrongdoing was reported. In a joint statement, an ABC News spokesperson thanked Crawford “for courageously speaking out about her experience at ABC News,” and Crawford thanked the network “for its prompt response to her formal complaint in 2021.”2Chicago Tribune. Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against NewsNation President Michael Corn Settled
What the Litigation Revealed About Corn’s ABC Exit
Corn left ABC News on April 15, 2021, one day after the network announced it had hired Kim Godwin to lead its news division, a job Corn had been considered for.11Los Angeles Times. Former Good Morning America Executive Producer Michael Corn to Join NewsNation At the time, an ABC spokesperson said only that “Michael Corn no longer works for ABC News.”12Deadline. Good Morning America’s Michael Corn Departs ABC News The characterization changed through the litigation itself. In an October 2021 court filing seeking dismissal of Crawford’s suit, ABC stated that an internal investigation had found it “more likely than not that Corn violated ABC’s policies” and that he had been “promptly terminated.”2Chicago Tribune. Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against NewsNation President Michael Corn Settled
Where Corn Is Now
Corn was announced as president of news at NewsNation on May 18, 2021, roughly a month after leaving ABC and about three months before Crawford filed her lawsuit.11Los Angeles Times. Former Good Morning America Executive Producer Michael Corn to Join NewsNation Whether Nexstar knew about the allegations at the time of the hire has never been publicly addressed; a NewsNation spokesperson declined to comment when the settlement was reached.2Chicago Tribune. Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against NewsNation President Michael Corn Settled On April 30, 2024, Corn was named President of Programming and Specials at the network under a new multi-year contract.13The Wrap. NewsNation Michael Corn President of Programming