NBC Just Fired Matt Lauer After Complaint Of 'Inappropriate Sexual Behavior'
Savannah Guthrie made the announcement this morning
This morning on the Today show, Savannah Guthrie, together with Hoda Kotb, made an announcement about her co-anchor, Matt Lauer. Lauer has been an anchor for the popular morning show for two decades.
“Hoda is here with me this morning because this is a sad moment for Today and NBC News,” Guthrie began. “Just moments ago NBC News Chairman Andy Lack sent the following note to our organization: ‘Dear Colleagues, on Monday night we received a detailed complaint 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.'”
The note then said that while it was the first complaint NBC had received about Lauer’s behavior in the 20 years he’s worked there, there was “reason to believe” it’s not 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,” Lack said.
Guthrie then explains that she and Kotb just learned about the termination moments before going on air, and that they were “still processing.”
“I will tell you right now we don’t know more than I just shared with you,” Guthrie said. “But we will be covering this story — as reporters, as journalists — and I’m sure we’ll be learning more details in the hours and days to come, and we promise we will share that with you.”
“For the moment all we can say is that we are heartbroken,” Guthrie continued. “I’m heartbroken for Matt, he is my dear, dear friend and my partner and he has been loved by many people here. And I’m heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story, and any other women who have their own stories to tell. We are grappling with a dilemma that so many people have faced these last few weeks: how do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly?”
“I don’t have the answer to that,” Guthrie ended. “But I do know that this reckoning that so many organizations have been going through is important, is long overdue, and it must result in workplaces where all women, where all people, feel safe and respected.”
Well said. No doubt a very difficult morning for Guthrie and she handled it as well as could be expected.
