President Peter Rice shared an update on the company’s investigation Monday.
Barbara Fedida, an ABC News executive who was fired last month after accusations of racially callous comments, will not return to the company, Walt Disney Television President Peter Rice said Monday.
In a company-wide email, Rice said an outside attorney had completed an independent investigation into the allegations, which was first reported in an article published by HuffPost. The story, citing dozens of unidentified sources, alleged that Fedida, who was a senior vice president of talent and business affairs, made derogatory comments about the ABC News staff, including an alleged racist comment on the co-host of “Good Morning America “Robin Roberts.
In Monday’s email, Rice said the investigation “confirmed that Ms Fedida made some of the racially callously unacceptable comments attributed to her,” and that “she rudely managed and sometimes used foul language. and inappropriate. ”
The investigation “found no basis” for the allegations in media reports that Fedida was the subject of dozens of human resource complaints, or that ABC News “spent millions of dollars on confidential deals,” Rice said.
In light of the findings, Rice said, Fedida “can no longer play a leading role” and will not return to ABC News.
ABC News has contacted Fedida for comment. Last month, she called the claims “heartbreaking and incredibly misleading.”
Based on the results of the investigation, Fedida’s previous position will be restructured, and the role of trade affairs will be separated from talent relations and recruitment, Rice said. Each role will now have its own leader. ABC News will also share details later this week on initiatives to “improve the culture of inclusion” at the company, Rice said.
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