‘Today’ Host Matt Lauer Fired Over Imminent Sexual Harassment Allegations
Yet another major news figure has been removed from their post over reports of sexual harassment. Ahead of word that Today anchor Matt Lauer would be outed as a serial sexual harasser, NBC News and Today have confirmed the long-time host had been fired.
Lauer’s dismissal was announced on the program by hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, who read a statement from NBC News chairman Andy Lack suggesting that the network had received a recent complaint about Lauer, and that this was not the first instance of Lauer’s misbehavior. According to Deadline, NBC wanted to get “out in front of several reports about Lauer that had been in the works at print news outlets.” A visibly-upset Guthrie also promised to cover the allegations against her former co-worker “as reporters.” You can watch the initial announcement below:
And here’s the full statement from NBC News chief Andy Lack:
Dear Colleagues,
On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company’s standards. As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment. While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he’s been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.
Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender.
We are deeply saddened by this turn of events. But we will face it together as a news organization – and do it in as transparent a manner as we can. To that end, Noah and I will be meeting with as many of you as possible throughout the day today to answer your questions.
Lauer’s dismissal arrives one week after CBS News parted ways with Charlie Rose over sexual harassment claims, and a month after NBC News dismissed MSNBC contributor Mark Halperin over allegations from five different women. President Donald Trump also issued a series of tweets in response to Lauer’s termination:
We’ll likely have fuller context of the allegations against Lauer soon, so stay tuned for the latest.
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