Abigail Doolittle v. Bloomberg L.P. and Mark Crumpton

Abigail Doolittle v. Bloomberg L.P. and Mark Crumpton (Case No. 1:22-cv-09136, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York) was a federal employment discrimination lawsuit alleging sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

Plaintiff: Abigail Doolittle, an on-air news reporter/correspondent at Bloomberg Television (joined around 2016).

Defendants: Bloomberg L.P. (her employer) and Mark Crumpton (a longtime Bloomberg Television anchor/correspondent, with the company since 1992).

Judge: Jennifer L. Rochon.

Filed October 25, 2022, after Doolittle received a Notice of Right to Sue from the EEOC.

Doolittle alleged that Crumpton began sexually harassing her around December 2018. Specific claims included:

• Repeated invitations for her to join him on a tropical/Caribbean vacation (e.g., comments about being “on a beach in the Caribbean together with a cocktail”), which she declined.
• Complimentary remarks about her appearance (e.g., earrings).
• The most serious allegation: On or about December 1, 2020, while Doolittle was conducting a live on-air interview, Crumpton (seated nearby in her line of sight) allegedly stared at her while masturbating over his pants.
• She reported the incident the next day and said she would not work on set with him again. She claimed Bloomberg failed to adequately protect her or address the issues despite her complaints (from late 2020 into 2021), leading to a hostile work environment and retaliation.

2024: Significant delays related to Crumpton’s health. He sought (and received) a temporary protective order staying his deposition for about 120 days due to health concerns that he argued would impair his ability to participate effectively. The court directed the parties to discuss accommodations.