Matt Lauer Fired For Inappropriate Sexual Behavior
KWTX reported this morning that longtime host of the Today Show Matt Lauer has been fired by NBC News after allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior.
Lauer's co-anchor on the Today Show, Savannah Guthrie, made the announcement to the public at the beginning of Wednesday's program. Guthrie read a statement from the chairman of NBC News, Andy Lack. Lack said, "The company received a detailed complaint from a colleague on Monday night about inappropriate sexual behavior by Lauer."
After a review of the complaint, it was determined that Lauer made a clear violation of the company's standards. Lack added that this was the first complaint against Lauer in more than 20 years at NBC, though other reports indicate that more allegations may soon surface.
According to the piece by Ramin Setoodeh and Elizabeth Wagmeister, Lauer had a button beneath his office desk which enabled him to lock his office door without getting up, which he allegedly used to ensure that inappropriate conversations and encounters with female employees could not be interrupted.
The article goes on to say that Lauer once sent a female coworker a sexual toy with a note indicating what he would like her to do with it, and showed favoritism toward coworkers he found physically attractive.