Fox Sports fires Jamie Horowitz as sexual harassment rumors swirl

Jamie Horowitz, whose run as Fox Sports president for national networks over the past two years has generated as much publicity as perplexity, will be leaving the company “effectively immediately,” according to a memo sent out Monday moing by Eric Shanks, the Fox Sports chief operating officer who hired him.

“We realize this news may come as a surprise for many of you but we are confident in this decision,” Shanks wrote in the memo obtained by the Sports Business Daily.

It was not made clear in the memo why this decision was made, but several sources indicate sexual harassment complaints have been filed by female workers both in the production and on-air sides. Reports are also that 21st Century Fox has been trying to address work culture issues involving wide-spread sexual harassment going all the way up to the recent firing of Fox News chairman Roger Ailes last year.

Horowitz has hired attoey Patricia Glaser to represent him, according to reports. Glaser is a trial attoey often sought for “high-stakes litigation,” according to her website bio.

Shanks’ email continued: “Everyone at Fox Sports, no matter what role we play, or what business, function or show we contribute to — should act with respect and adhere to professional conduct at all times. These values are non-negotiable.”

Shanks said until a replacement is named, he would be responsible for decisions involving programming, marketing and scheduling for FS1, FS2 and the FoxSports.com website and other digital properties.

Horowitz’s most recent headline-generating move involved laying off writers and editors last week at the FoxSports.com site and incorporating a new philosophy that would make it more video driven, with clips from opinion show hosts whom Horowitz has hired in recent months, including Colin Cowherd, Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe and Jason Whitlock.

Horowitz is a former ESPN producer who also had a brief time with NBC’s “Today” show that ended just a few months after he was hired due to personality conflicts.

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