Fox News Channel CEO Roger Ailes is the latest to weigh in .
Kennedy has worked at Fox News as a reporter. Prior to that, he worked for The New York Post, which is a sister media outlet to Fox. Both are owned by News Corp.
Below is Ailes' statement in defense of Douglas Kennedy, which was provided by family spokesman Stefan Friedman:
"I have known Douglas Kennedy, his wife and his family professionally and personally for over 15 years. He tells the truth and his calm and gentle demeanor always impressed me. He is the definition of a great father and it is a role he cherishes over all others. I support Douglas as do the independent eyewitness accounts of the event. It is unfortunate that what appears to be a father's defensive maneuver to protect his newborn baby has been twisted because of his famous name. In my view, the real moral of this story should be don't try to grab a baby from the arms of a loving father."
I know it's against the rules of the hospital to remove an infant but I don't think it violates the law. It just sounds like both sides used really poor judgement in this incident.
By the way, who takes a brand new baby, wrapped in only a receiving blanket outside for a breath of air in January?
We've had 4 children, and in all 4 cases, when we left the hospital the rule was that my wife be taken out in a wheelchair. As for the nurses using "poor judgement:" A maternity nurse at any given moment has half a dozen to a dozen new and helpless lives in their hands. That, added to the numbers of new, stressed out, emotional parents, is a daunting responsibility. It is not their job to make a nuanced judgement about a rich, powerful heir taking a 2 day old newborn outdoors in January. They have rules to uphold, and for good reason. Can you imagine if every father of those multiple babies were allowed to leave the maternity ward what sort of confusion and anarchy could result? The rules are there for the well being of the infants first, last and always. Let's dispense with the personal friends of the Kennedys getting their carefully parsed, hair splitting statements of support published without a responsible report of what a maternity ward is really for.
I am a proud father of two children born there at Northern Westchester. Nurse staff (Cari) is nothing short of profession. They are the nicest and caring people I've known. The nurses staff professionalism is nothing short of amazing. They would tell you ahead of time that the baby are not to be taking out until discharge. Although babies are born healthy, they are still required to be in the nurses care until discharge. What Mr. Kennedy does is wrong and is endangering the welfare of a child, he should be charge with assault as well for kicking the beautiful and hard working staff at the hospital. Baby's birth should be a time or joy not anger. Ron
You are 100% wrong.
Faux News CEO is under the Kennedy spell...what a surprise...and what a loser.
I know this galls you ... but Fox is the people's choice. The ratings say it all. But it's still okay for you to smear anyone with a remote who might stop at that channel. That's the liberal labeling mechanism they've perfected ... and you've embraced. You sound foolish.