Host of the award-winning Fox News show, “The O’Reilly Factor,” Bill O’Reilly, should face the repercussions of his actions. Recently, The New York Times uncovered that O’Reilly had been accused of sexually or verbally harassing five women while working at Fox News. The women have all settled out of court, leading 21st Century Fox to pay $13 million in settlements. Understandably, these events are causing much controversy within the United States.

O’Reilly has defended himself against the accusations, claiming that he is vulnerable to these kinds of lawsuits due to his fame.  O’Reilly and 21st Century Fox have denied the claims of sexual harassment. As of now, O’Reilly is not going to trial for any allegations. This does not change the fact that he should though. Many people have denied that O’Reilly did anything wrong, but the fact that five different women pressed charges against him makes this theory difficult to believe.

Possible evidence that wrongdoing has occurred is also the fact that 21st Century Fox decided to settle out of court, instead of letting O’Reilly stand trial. Unfortunately, many times the victim is ignored, told they are lying or harassed further if they speak out against sexual harassment. This is even more true when the allegations are against a powerful individual such as O’Reilly. This is a point that cannot be forgotten.

Right now, 21st Century Fox is investigating the situation, as they did with Roger Ailes. This would be the correct thing to do in this situation, but many are calling for the company to fire O’Reilly immediately. Others are defending him, saying that even if he is guilty of the complaints, forgiveness should be an option. In cases like these, often the middle road is the best one to take. It would make sense for O’Reilly to be suspended until the investigation is over. There are many anchors who could substitute for O’Reilly in his absence, so 21st Century Fox would not have to rearrange their entire nightly lineup.

One could argue that O’Reilly working and making money for the company while being investigated is a conflict of interest. Perhaps if O’Reilly was found innocent, they could reinstate his job or, if he is guilty, fire him immediately. It is important that 21st Century pursues justice and a harassment-free workplace, but at the same time it is unjust to make decisions as big as firing someone before an investigation has taken place.

Overall, this is an uncomfortable situation for many people. The alleged victim’s alleged abuser gets to have a national television show. 21st Century Fox needs to investigate, then decide whether their profits or justice are more important. As a nation there needs to be a focus on creating a culture where sexual harassment is taken seriously.