AUBURN, Ala. (EETV)- NBC News announced Wednesday that they fired Matt Lauer after receiving a detailed account of alleged sexual misconduct with a fellow colleague during the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Since firing him, The New York Times has reported that two more women have come forward with separate accounts accusing Lauer of sexual misconduct.
NBC News Chairman, Andrew Lack, sent out a memo to all NBC employees explaining that this is the first complaint they have received about Lauer since he began anchoring for the TODAY Show in 1999. However, Lack described that they had “reason to believe” it may not be the only incident. On Wednesday morning, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb expressed their concern while sharing with their audience the statement made by NBC News, which reads as follows:
“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.”
Guthrie, who has worked on the TODAY Show with Lauer since 2012, seemed especially distraught, describing her feeling of heartbreak for both Lauer and the victim. “How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly, and I don't know the answer to that,” said Guthrie.
This incident comes in the midst of several allegations of sexual misconduct made against high-profile men in the work place. Lauer has still not yet made a public statement.
