\n\t\t\t\t\tLawyer says efforts to sully his client\u2019s reputation raise questions whether management are serious about their cultural review.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Amber Sherlock\u2019s lawyer has hit back at statements by Nine after it denied\u00a0she was a \u201cwell-liked and popular member of the news division\u2019s team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nine had also denied her claims that she \u201cfaithfully and diligently served\u201d the company during her 18 years of employment, stating she was counselled on her \u201ccommunications and interactions with colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n
But John Laxon, principal of Laxon Lex, seized upon Nine\u2019s own history of toxic work culture.<\/p>\n
The 2024 external review found Nine has a systemic issue with abuse of power and authority; bullying, discrimination and harassment; and sexual harassment.<\/p>\n
\u201cNine\u2019s efforts to sully my client\u2019s reputation after 18 years of fabulous service are disappointing and unnecessary and also raise questions whether Nine management are serious about adhering to the lessons of their cultural review, which identified a toxic culture of gender inequality,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Laxon claimed there was an \u201cabsence of more mature female presenters at Nine\u201d, and that numbers would drop further following the departure of news anchor Georgie Gardner on Friday. \u201cThe older blokes on screen are in abundance,\u201d Laxon said.<\/p>\n
Nine denied sacking Sherlock because she was a woman nearing her 50th birthday, which were prt of wider redundancies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe strongly reject any suggestion that this influences any decision to remove a role that is no longer required in our business,\u201d a spokesman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dedicated role of the 6pm weather presenter for 9News Sydney was made redundant in November 2025. Since then, a number of different reporters and presenters have presented the 6pm weather in addition to filling other roles across the network.\u201d<\/p>\n