Mike Snider

USA TODAY

A racial discrimination suit against Fox News Network expanded Monday as the network shuffled executive ranks to get beyond a damaging sexual harassment crisis.

Two additional plaintiffs are joining a suit initially filed six weeks ago in the Bronx Supreme Court in New York against multiple parties, including the network, parent company 21st Century Fox, Fox News and Fox Business Executive Vice President Dianne Brandi, and Judith Slater, a former senior vice president and company controller.

The suit, which now includes 13 former and current Fox employees, alleges the network engaged in "systemic discrimination based on race, ethnicity and national origin." The newest plaintiffs, Elizabeth Fernandez and Claudine McLeod, both worked in the accounts payable department, which Fernandez departed in 2014 and where McLeod continues to work.

The suit expands as Fox News looks to rebound from an advertiser boycott that led to Fox's April 19 dismissal of its star host Bill O'Reilly after reports of harassment allegations made against him. Last week network co-head Bill Shine, who had been mentioned in several lawsuits filed against Fox News for allowing a workplace culture in which sexual harassment and racial discrimination could develop, resigned.

On Monday, 21st Century Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch announced that Marianne Gambelli would become Fox News’ president of advertising sales. Previously the chief investment officer at Horizon Media, Gambelli spent 22 years at NBC, most recently as NBCUniversal's president of sales and marketing.

The appointment follows a shake-up in upper management. At the time of Shine's departure, Murdoch promoted Suzanne Scott and Jay Wallace, who both joined Fox News in 1996, as division heads -- Scott of programming, Wallace of news. Jack Abernethy remains network co-president. He was named as co-president with Shine in August 2016, a month after Roger Ailes stepped down as CEO in the wake of accusations of sexual harassment and discrimination.

Last week, Amy Listerman became chief financial officer, a post she had held at Scripps Networks Interactive.

Fox says O'Reilly's on-air replacement Tucker Carlson has managed to eliminate the crisis in the 8 p.m. ET hour. All of the commercial breaks have been restored for Tucker Carlson Tonight, Fox says, and all advertisers that left the hour have returned.

The racial discrimination suit, however, has continued to expand.

Two weeks ago, two-time Emmy Award winning and former co-host of Fox and Friends Kelly Wright joined the suit. Wright, who has been at Fox for 15 years, said in the suit, "because he is Black ... has been effectively sidelined and asked to perform the role of a 'Jim Crow' – the racist caricature of a Black entertainer."

Fernandez and McLeod allege they were "subjected to numerous discriminatory comments and conduct by (the former controller) Slater." Fernandez, who is Hispanic, said in the suit that when she was pregnant with her first son, Slater, during a meeting, asked "if she knew the sex of the baby and if she planned on having more kids because 'Latinas like having a ton of kids'."

McLeod, who is Panamanian and black, charges Slater with telling her “You people are high maintenance” in regards to health insurance costs and drive "up everyone's ... premiums."

Fox fired Slater on Feb. 28. “Fox News terminated Judy Slater before a single lawsuit or any amended complaint was filed,” the network said in a statement Monday.

Slater's attorney, Catherine Foti, said in a statement: “These are simply more baseless allegations.”

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Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.