Update: On June 7, no nonsense Superior Court Judge Christine Roach told lawyers in the case of The Boston Globe v. Hilary Sargent to prepare a joint letter to be filed by Friday afternoon at 4:00pm that would advise the judge on exactly how to proceed.
The Globe is seeking an order forcing Sargent to submit to an interview and turn over notes and documents related to her claim that she was sexually harassed by Boston Globe Editor Brian McGrory. Globe Lawyer Mark Batten argued that the only way to satisfy readers, Globe management and employees would be to get a full accounting of what happened between Sargent and McGrory and that they needed Sargent’s cooperation to do that. Judge Roach scoffed at that saying the Globe could declare its investigation over at any time, with or without Sargent’s cooperation. A ruling could come as early as Monday.
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In a lengthy court filing, former Boston.com editor Hilary Sargent is fighting back against a Boston Globe lawsuit that would force her to release the dates and contexts of text messages between she and Globe editor Brian McGrory.
In several tweets last month, Sargent claims she was sexually harassed by McGrory, and for proof she attached a partial iMessage exchange where she claims McGrory is asking her what she is wearing while trying to write a story.
There are no names attached to the iMessage. The Globe filed suit after Sargent failed to provide further details about the iMessage exchange.
The court filing says, “The Globe’s suggestion that Ms. Sargent has not cooperated is pure fiction: she raised her concerns with upper management months ago.”
Attorney Jack Siegal is asking that the State Superior Court deny the Globe’s motion forcing Sargent to release more detail, which she now says she does not have.
In a letter to staff after the original charge surfaced, McGrory denied he had ever harassed Sargent, or any women at the Globe. McGrory also disclosed that he and Sargent had a relationship after she left the Globe in 1999 and before she was rehired in 2014.
Sargent and her attorney say the Globe’s lawsuit is an act of intimidation and they further state that Sargent “wants to cooperate to shed light on inappropriate conduct at the Globe but will not do so while the Globe is suing her and smearing her reputation.”
Read the court filing below:
