HIGH-PROFILE US news reporter and presenter Matt Lauer has been fired from NBC News following a complaint about ‘inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace’.
The announcement was made live on the Today Show by presenter Savannah Guthrie, who described it as ”a sad morning at Today and at NBC News”.
She said that just moments before she went on air, NBC chairman Andy Lack sent the following note to the organisation:
Dear colleagues, on Monday night we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behaviour 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 behaviour in the over 20 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 organisation – and do it in as transparent a manner as we can.
Guthrie said that the staff are “devastated” and “processing” the information.
“I am sure we will be learning more details in the hours and days to come, and we promise to share that with you,” said Guthrie.
Lauer, who has been a journalist since 1979, is aged 59 and from New York.
This is the latest in a wave of allegations about sexually inappropriate behaviour by high-profile figures in the US entertainment world.
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