Malcom Maddox
Malcom Maddox and Tara Edwards co-anchoring.
Five former WXYZ employees tell the Detroit Free Press that the station supported an unhealthy work environment that allowed former anchor Malcom Maddox to engage in inappropriate behavior that included showing pictures of his penis on his phone.
At least four women complained to the station's human resources department about the pics, sources tell the Freep.
The workers accuse the ABC affiliate of ignoring staff complaints about his conduct, which also included sexual activity at the Southfield station, bringing girlfriends to work when he was married and talking about things that made female coworkers uncomfortable, reports Tresa Baldas.
On her Facebook page, Baldas shares a personal reaction to covering "a touchy subject:"
I was stunned to hear some of the allegations. It's tough writing these stories. And getting both sides is crucial. But when the other side won't talk and gives you just prepared statements, you go with what you have and show readers you made an effort to get both sides.
Deadline Detroit first reported that station employees were told March 16 that Maddox had left the station, but did not say whether he was fired or resigned or whether he will be paid the remainder of his contract.
The departure came two weeks after ex-reporter Tara Edwards filed a $100-million sexual harassment lawsuit in federal court in Detroit, accusing Maddox of repeatedly sexually harassing her and asking her to do disgusting things, including spitting in her mouth and urinating on her during sexual activity.
Multiple accounts now bolster the case for Edwards and put WXYZ in a more compromising position in the federal court case. It's also a public relations nightmare for the station, which has lost some high profile talent of late. Anchor Stephen Clark retired a month ago and where JoAnne Purtan's contract wasn't renewed this spring.
Maddox was essentially suspended three times and allowed back on the air before he was finally cut loose.
In 2015, he was suspended for two weeks without pay for inappropriate behavior tied to Edwards. He was put on leave again last December when Rev. W.J. Rideout III publicly accused him of sexual harassment and said the station covered it all up.
After three weeks, the ABC affiliate concluded that Rev. Rideout's allegations involved Edward's previous accusations and that Maddox had already been punished. So they let him return to the air, thinking all was good. Then Edwards filed her lawsuit and the station removed him again.
"We spoke up. We did what we were supposed to do and you guys slap him on the wrist and give him a promotion?" said one of Maddox's accusers, who spoke to the Free Press this week and requested anonymity. "Two times now, in the shadow of the MeToo movement, they put him right back on TV? ... I don't get it. I just don't get it."
"They closed their eyes when it was brought to their attention and they let it go on," Nima Shaffe, a former weekend morning anchor at WXYZ who worked there when Edwards filed her complaint with the station in 2015, tells the Freep.
"It was ugly. Everyone was whispering. And poor Tara was put in a sense of exile. It was disgusting to watch, disgusting to see it unfold in front of you," Shaffe said. "All she did was go forward."
WXYZ General Manager Mike Murri declined comment to the Freep, citing pending litigation. He earlier said:
"WXYZ and its parent company, Scripps, are dedicated to maintaining respectful workplace environments. We take very seriously allegations of sexual harassment or any type of workplace harassment. We are committed to working promptly and vigorously to pursue employee concerns of mistreatment across all of our operations."
