Roger Yu

USA TODAY

Andrea Tantaros, a Fox News broadcaster, has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News, former CEO Roger Ailes and other Fox executives, another highly charged legal challenge for the conservative-leaning news network as it seeks to get past a turbulent management change triggered by a similar case.

"Fox News masquerades as defender of traditional family values, but behind the scenes, it operates like a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency, and misogyny," said her lawsuit, filed Monday in New York Supreme Court in New York County.

The lawsuit, whose defendants include Fox News co-president Bill Shine, communications chief Irena Briganti, general counsel Dianne Brandi and Suzanne Scott, executive vice president of programming and development, comes two weeks after Tantaros made her allegations in an article in New York magazine.

Report: Fox's Tantaros claims harassment by Ailes

Fox News said it doesn't comment on pending litigation. Ailes' lawyer, Susan Estrich, couldn't be reached for comment.

In early July, former Fox News broadcaster Gretchen Carlson sued Ailes for sexual harassment, claiming the 76-year old executive decided not to renew her contract after she refused to sleep with him. She also alleged Ailes ignored her reports of "disparaging treatment in the newsroom.”

Ailes has denied the allegations. After an internal investigation by 21st Century Fox, the parent of Fox News, Ailes stepped down July 22 and left the company with a $40 million severance package. Carlson's lawsuit, filed only against Ailes, is ongoing.

Fox News names Abernethy, Shine as co-presidents, CFO Kranz retires

Since Carlson's lawsuit, other Fox News female employees have come forward with sexual harassment complaints or public support of Carlson. Among them was Megyn Kelly, one of Fox News' most heavily promoted prime-time anchors, who told Fox's investigators she, too, had been sexually harassed by Ailes.

After Ailes left, Fox News overhauled its management by naming Shine and Jack Abernethy, CEO of Fox Television Stations, as co-presidents, reporting directly to Rupert Murdoch, co-executive chairman of the board of 21st Century Fox.

In her lawsuit, Tantaros claims Ailes allegedly asked her for a hug and told her to “turn around so I can get a good look at you.” Ailes also allegedly commented that Tantaros would “look good in a bikini.” Ailes also allegedly asked Tantaros about the sexual relationships of other Fox News employees.

Tantaros, known for her vociferously conservative politics, says she complained “multiple" times to senior Fox executives, including Shine, Scott and Brandi about Ailes’ behavior. In a meeting in spring 2015, Shine allegedly told Tantaros that Ailes was a “very powerful man” and that she “needed to let this one go,” her lawsuit says. Once her complaints were revealed to management, she was taken off the air, Tantaros says.

Ailes' departure poses unexpected challenges for Fox

Shine has said Tantaros never complained to him about Ailes sexually harassing her. Brandi sent a letter to Tantaros' lawyer saying the network suspended her with pay because she failed to vet her 2016 book, Tied Up in Knots: How Getting What They Wanted Has Made Women Miserable, with the network. The book's cover shows Tantaros bound by ropes.

"For Ailes did not act alone," Tantaros' lawsuit reads. "He may have been the primary culprit, but his actions were condoned by his most senior lieutenants, who engaged in a concerted effort to silence Tantaros by threats, humiliation, and retaliation."

Tantaros also alleges Briganti placed "insulting" stories about her at various news organizations and posted negative comments about Tantaros via "sock puppet” social media accounts. A sock puppet is a deceptive online account operated by a person or company under a false identity.

Briganti denied in a statement that she used sock puppet social media accounts.

In the lawsuit, Tantaros says Bill O’Reilly, host of The O'Reilly Factor, sexually harassed her earlier this year by inviting her to "stay with him" on Long Island where it would be 'very private' and making other sexually suggestive comments.

Tantaros also claims former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, who's now working for Fox News, and Fox News correspondent John Roberts made sexually inappropriate comments. She says Brown put his hands on her lower waist at lunch.

In an e-mail to the Boston Globe, Brown said: “Her statement about our limited on air, green room interactions are false,” Brown said. “There were never any circumstances of any kind whatsoever in which I had any interaction with her or any other employee at Fox, outside the studio.”

“In the three years I have been working there, I treat all people there the same, whether they be male or female,” Brown said.

Roberts and O'Reilly couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Follow USA TODAY media reporter Roger Yu on Twitter @ByRogerYu.