U.S.

Fox fires Bob Beckel for racially insensitive remark

/ CBS/AP

NEW YORK -- Fox News Channel says it has fired prime-time commentator Bob Beckel for making an insensitive remark to a black employee. 

Beckel, who has been a liberal panelist on the show "The Five," was on his second tour of duty at Fox after being bounced in 2015 for substance abuse. 

Anchor Kelly Wright opens up about alleged racial discrimination at Fox News

Fox gave no details on the incident. But lawyer Doug Wigdor said Beckel allegedly left his office when a man came to work on his computer, saying he was doing so because the man was black. 

In a statement, Wigdor said that when his client complained to human resources at Fox, Beckel attempted to intimidate him into withdrawing the complaint. Fox denied that anyone tried to intimidate the employee and said Beckel had apologized.

Wigdor's law firm is representing 22 Fox News employees in a class-action lawsuit alleging widespread racial discrimination at the network.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.