To say that she’s an abusive figure is an understatement’: ABC News executive is put on administrative leave for ‘making racist comments at black staffers’ and quipping that GMA host Robin Roberts wasn’t forced to ‘pick cotton’ when discussing a pay raise

An ABC News senior executive is being investigated by the company over allegations of sexist and racist comments directed at the network's black journalists.

Barbara Fedida, the head of ABC News talent, has been placed on administrative leave amid allegations that she repeatedly made inappropriate comments to staffers about everything from mass shootings to directing foul language at female employees.  

'To say that she’s an abusive figure is an understatement,' one source told Huff Post, who broke the story on Saturday.

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ABC News said that Barbara Fedida, the head of ABC News talent, (pictured) was placed on administrative leave over allegations of racist and sexist comments at black staffers

One claim raised in the report alleges that Fedida made a racially offensive quip towards Robin Robert, an African-American journalist who's co-anchored Good Morning America for 15 years. 

In 2018, Roberts reportedly asked for a pay raise as part of her contract renewal with the network.

Fedida, in a meeting with colleagues discussing the contract, reportedly felt Roberts' paycheck was more than enough and questioned what else she could possibly want.

It wasn't as if ABC Network was forcing Roberts to 'pick cotton,' she reportedly said, according to a source who witnessed the incident.

Two additional sources who had heard about the alleged incident also confirmed the event with Huffington Post.

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Huff Post reports that Fedida quipped that GMA anchor Robin Roberts wasn't forced by ABC News to 'pick cotton' when questioning the value of a potential pay raise

The comment was reportedly one of many disturbing remarks made by Fedida, who is said to have more than a dozen human resources complaints against her and was the subject of a human resources investigation in 2016. 

The investigation led ABC News to hire an executive coach, sources claimed.

Two years after the alleged quip about Roberts, Fedida's presence remained so 'toxic' that sources claimed leaving the network was like fleeing an abusive marriage. 

The allegations are especially disturbing given the fact that Fedida oversees that network's diversity and inclusion efforts.

The company has reportedly spent millions of dollars in confidential settlements with staff and former talent, including at least one that involved racial discrimination. 

In a statement, ABC News told Huff Post: 'There are deeply disturbing allegations in this story that we need to investigate, and we have placed Barbara Fedida on administrative leave while we conduct a thorough and complete investigation. 

'These allegations do not represent the values and culture of ABC News, where we strive to make everyone feel respected in a thriving, diverse and inclusive workplace.' 

Fedida has denied all allegations and maintained that she never engaged in 'abusive' or inappropriate behavior during her time with ABC News.

'Throughout my career, I have been a champion for increased diversity in network news. Building a news division where everyone can thrive has been my life’s mission. 

'I am proud of my decades of work of hiring, supporting and promoting talented journalists of color. And, unlike these heartbreaking and incredibly misleading claims about me, that track record is well-documented and undeniable.'

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ABC News said in a statement: 'These allegations do not represent the values and culture of ABC News, where we strive to make everyone feel respected in a thriving, diverse and inclusive workplace'

A company holiday luncheon that took place after a series of mass shootings was the alleged scene of another offensive remark by Fedida.

While there, she reportedly asked employees, all of whom reported to her, which ABC News staffer they believed was most likely to be an active shooter inside the building.

In other instances, sources told Huff Post that she repeatedly referred to female staffers as c****.  

Fedida allegedly said of reporter Kendis Gibson, a black man, that ABC News 'spends more on toilet paper than we ever would on him.'

Gibson has since left ABC News and works for MSNBC.

More than a dozen interviews alleged that Fedida, who is in charge of diversity and inclusion, would harbor animosity at those who pushed for such efforts.

She reportedly did not show interest in the National Association of Black Journalists or their annual convention, which fosters potential recruiting and mentoring.

Fedida rarely attended that event, according to sources, in a large departure from the inclusion efforts of other networks.

Top talent executives from NBC News attend the NABJ convention each year to offer advice and critique news reels. 

NBC News' head of talent has only missed two NABJ conventions in 30 years, a source familiar with attendance told Huff Post. 

Fedida was also accused of dubbing a list of suggestions from African-American staffers 'the Black manifesto.'

In the summer of 2016, a group of African-American employees with ABC News, including Mara Schiavocampo, pulled together a detailed letter to current network president James Goldston over exclusion.

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Mara Schiavocampo (pictured) was allegedly one of the journalists involved in a letter geared at ABC News executives over lack of diversity in the newsroom 

The network was preparing to hold a town hall with then-President Barack Obama about race relations in the United States.

None of the staffers involved in the town hall were black, prompting journalists to create an advocacy group, according to Huff Post.

One of the letter's listed goals was for a black producer to be on every show and be involved in interviews for black job candidates.

Once the letter become known to Fedida, she reportedly dubbed it 'the Black manifesto.'

An initial meeting between the advocacy group, Goldston and Fedida was allegedly fraught with tension.

At a second meeting, attended by Robin Roberts, Goldston claimed that some staffers were pushing back at the requests made in the letter.

Roberts allegedly responded: 'Were they carrying torches and chanting "You will not replace us?"'

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Sources alleged that Fedida (pictured) asked staffers which ABC News staffer would be most likely to be an active shooter 

The phrase, oftentimes used by white supremacists, was created by white supremacist philosopher Renaud Camus and chorused by neo-Nazi's at the 2017 Unite the Right rally.

Roberts reportedly provided a list of qualified black journalists for positions at the network, but ABC News did not take her suggestions seriously.

ABC News said in a statement to Huff Post: 'James and Barbara welcomed the opportunity to hear from this group and meet with them regularly. These conversations have led to positive change in the news division. '

Last Thursday, a group of black journalists reportedly held a video conference with Fedida and Goldston to express discontent over the network's coverage of George Floyd and the subsequent protests.

They also expressed concern over ABC's efforts to hire diversity.

'My personal experience with Barbara Fedida is that she is not racist. I know what racism looks, smells and sounds like. Barbara Fedida is not any of those things. But I am respectful of other colleagues who have had a different experience,' Bryan Pitt, a black ABC News anchor, told Huff Post. 

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A group of black journalists reportedly held a video conference with Fedida and ABC News president James Goldston (pictured) over their coverage of protests and George Floyd

According to sources, Schiavocampo’s involvement in the letter and her role as leader of the advocacy group reportedly made her a target for Fedida.

Fedida is accused of making inappropriate comments at Schiavocampo behind her back.

Then in February 2017, ABC News decided to not renew Schiavocampo's contract, but she was not told until July 2017. Her contact did not expire until 2018. 

Schiavocampo approached ABC News with a legal claim, including allegations of racial discrimination by Fedida.

The two reached a financial settlement and Schiavocampo signed a nondisclosure and a nondisparagement agreement 

Fedida's career with ABC News began in 1989, when she served as a production associate for Peter Jennings. She held various producer roles until she was promoted to director of standards and practices in 2001. 

She was later named head of talent recruitment and development.

According to Huff Post, Fedida's role with the company extends far beyond her job with talent.  

They allege that Fedida is more akin to Goldston's deputy and takes care of various tasks that he doesn't want to deal with.

She reportedly held a similar role with the network's previous president, Ben Sherwood.

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'There were a lot of things James and Ben [Sherwood] (pictured) didn’t want to deal with, and Barbara was always willing to handle them'

'There were a lot of things James and Ben didn’t want to deal with, and Barbara was always willing to handle them,' one source claimed.

Sources cited Tanya Menton, a Walt Disney Co. staffer who serves as vice president of litigation, as one reason Fedida has remained after the series of allegations.

Menton has reportedly been involved in settlement negotiations for Fedida and other network executives. She's also handled human resource complaints against Fedida, according to sources. 

Huff Post said reporting for the piece included interviewing 34 sources over the course of six months. The sources in Huff post's report spoke with anonymity due to fear of retaliation from Fedida and ABC News executives, nondisclosure deals or contract stipulations about speaking to the press on record without prior authorization.