Fired NBC Boston reporter who failed to report relationship with police chief sues the network

An NBC Boston investigative journalist, who was fired for failing to report her relationship with the local police chief, is suing the news network for sexual harassment from a female coworker. 

Karen Hensel, of Miami Beach, Florida, has sued NBC Boston and NBCUniversal after she claimed she was 'repeatedly subjected to a sexually-hostile work environment' since she started at the network in January 2017, court documents viewed by DailyMail.com read. 

Hensel claimed she was harassed by another 'female investigative reporter' and that the unidentified coworker targeted her to 'stand out as the leading female investigative reporter at the station.' 

Hensel was fired from the network in 2019 after she reportedly failed to disclose her relationship to Auburn Police Chief Andy Sluckis, Jr., which the network said could have tainted her reporting. 

The reporter claimed management knew about her relationship with Sluckis and had dismissed her claims of sexual harassment in 2017. 

'Rather than investigate Ms. Doe’s conduct and/or take appropriate corrective measures to address the hostile work environment of which [the] plaintiff had repeatedly complained, NBC10-Boston chose to protect Ms. Doe and to terminate [the] plaintiff under the guise of receiving an anonymous tip containing information of which station management had been aware for approximately nine months,' the lawsuit read. 

Karen Hensel has sued NBC Boston and NBCUniversal after she claimed she was 'repeatedly subjected to a sexually-hostile work environment'

Hensel was fired from NBC Boston in 2019 after the network received an internal 'anonymous complaint' about her relationship with the police chief Andy Sluckis, Jr (right)

Hensen had several stories that included the Auburn Police Department, including an interview with Sluckis. However, the award-winning journalist said all the stories took place prior to the start of the relationship

The 11-time Emmy winner claimed she had reported the harassment in May 2017, but was told to deal with it 'the best you can.' 

'You know how she is,' Hensel was reportedly told by a producer. 

She also claimed the station's management was well aware of the ongoing harassment and she even informed Matthew Glasser, the new executive producer at the time, in 2019. 

'Mr. Glasser expressly acknowledged his awareness of Ms. Doe’s misconduct but declined to take any corrective measures and/or address same either directly or indirectly,' the lawsuit said. 

At one point, the harassment had gotten so bad that Hensel claimed she was move to the 'point of tears in front of coworkers in the newsroom.' 

Afterward, Hensel claimed her harasser told Investigative Unit Producer, Doug Moser, that her coworker was dating Sluckis in February 2019. 

However, she claimed she 'never denied' her relationship with the chief and months later was offered a renewal contract for another three years at the station and 'raised no issues or concerns whatsoever regarding [Hensen's] personal relationship with the local police chief.' 

'From February to July 2019, neither Mr. Glasser nor anyone at station management advised plaintiff that her personal relationship with a local Police Chief posed a potential conflict of interest...' the court documents read. 

Nine months later, Hensen was informed by former News Director Ben Dobson that the network had received an 'anonymous complaint' about her relationship and that he informed her it was more than likely prompted by the 'new seating chart' at the new building the station was moving to. 

The 11-time Emmy award winner filed a lawsuit last week claiming she was subjected to sexual harassment by another female investigative journalist, who she claimed 'targeted her to 'stand out as the leading female investigative reporter at the station' and had made her cry at one point' 

She also claimed her harasser was the one to report her relationship to the network twice and that the news station was aware of her relationship for nine months prior to her firing 

'It was well-known that Ms. Doe was displeased with the new seating chart,' the lawsuit said. 

She also claimed Dobson told her: 'You have to be careful because there are sharks in the water…I have them coming after me too.' 

She was advised to file a formal disclosure form, despite 'her employer was already aware' of the relationship. He also allegedly told her to 'maintain' her personal relationship with Sluckis so as to not 'turn off the spigot of information.' 

Hensen filed the form on November 11, 2019, and was fired seven days later by Dobson for 'breaching company policies.' 

She is claiming that she didn't break policy as NBC Boston had made it known that 'employees are free to date or marry whomever they wish without violating company policies, provided they disclose their relationship(s) to a manager.' 

She also said a male assistant news director of NBC Boston did not disclose his relationship with an NBC Boston on-air journalist and he was not terminated. 

Hensen had several stories that included the Auburn Police Department, including an interview with Sluckis. However, the award-winning journalist said all the stories took place prior to the start of the relationship. 

DailyMail.com has reached out to NBC Boston for comment.