On November 29, it was announced live on-air that Today Show co-host Matt Lauer had been fired from NBC following allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. Now, months later, NBC is finally releasing its findings and evidence against Lauer.
NBC would like the people of America to know that there is no creepy door-closing button installed in Lauer's office. The villainous buttons are actually in many other executive's offices, too. In the official report, NBC says the button exists to close the door using a magnet, so that NBC executives do not have to physically lift themselves to shut their door. But, they clarify, it does not lock the door.
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So it closes, but doesn't automatically lock — what a relief! (They really didn't get how intimidating it can be to have a door shut behind you while you're in a confined space with a person of power, do they?)
More importantly, the television network claims that they found "no evidence" that HR resources, at NBC News or the Today Show, "received any complaints about Lauer’s workplace behavior prior to November 27, 2017" after speaking with 68 individuals during the investigation. This was the goal of their investigation: to clear NBC's name of any wrongdoing after there were claims that leadership knew about his behavior. They did, however, acknowledge the four credible allegations against Lauer, but made sure to note that the women had not informed their management of the behavior until November of 2017.
Regarding the allegations and his subsequent firing, Lauer released the following statement on November 30: "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC."
Later, in April of this year he changed his tune, releasing this statement: "I have made no public comments on the many false stories from anonymous or biased sources that have been reported about me over the past several months...I remained silent as an attempt to protect my family from further embarrassment and to restore a small degree of privacy they have lost."
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Read a full copy of the NBC investigation here, via Deadline.
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