Something isn’t adding up in NBC's investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations against Matt Lauer, the disgraced former host of the network's flagship "Today Show."
Indeed, NBC officials and Ann Curry, who was Lauer's co-anchor on “Today" from June 2011 to June 2012, have conflicting reports on what it means to be part of a formal investigation. On Wednesday, NBC finished its probe into the allegations, announcing that management had received no complaints about Lauer’s alleged misconduct prior to Nov. 27, 2017 — the week Lauer was fired.
"We found no evidence indicating that any NBC News or Today Show leadership, News HR or others in positions of authority in the News Division received any complaints about Lauer's workplace behavior prior to November 27, 2017," the report states.
"All four women who came forward confirmed that they did not tell their direct manager or anyone else in a position of authority about their sexual encounters with Lauer," it adds. "Current and former members of NBC News and Today Show leadership, as well as News HR, stated that they had never received a complaint about inappropriate workplace behavior by Lauer, and we did not find any contrary evidence."
As noted by the New York Times, NBC News didn’t hire an outside firm to conduct its investigation into the allegations — suggesting a possible conflict of interest. The probe was reportedly led by the general counsel of NBC Universal, Kimberley Harris. This too prompted criticism; in response, an NBC spokesperson issued a statement to the Times to clarify.
“Proskauer Rose and Davis Polk both reviewed the report and gave their stamp of approval on the methodology and findings and recommendations for next steps,” said Hilary Smith, the senior vice president of corporate communications at NBC Universal.
Yet according to the Times, lawyers from these firms were merely consulted — they did not actually sit in on interviews with NBC employees.
Curry was quoted by the Washington Post in April, explaining that she had approached two members of NBC’s management after a female staffer told her she was “sexually harassed physically" by Lauer.
“A woman approached me and asked me tearfully if I could help her,” Curry said. “She was afraid of losing her job. ... I believed her.”
NBC’s legal team told the New York Times on Wednesday that Curry had a “discussion” with the network’s investigators, and added that “members of NBC News and ‘Today’ show leadership at the time with whom we spoke denied having any such conversation with Curry.”
Curry responded via a statement to the New York Times saying: “I have not participated in any formal investigation by NBC on sexual harassment.”
The disconnect between Curry's story and the NBC version is disconcerting, stories, particularly as more NBC anchors face allegations of sexual harassment. A recent op-ed in the Washington Post by Linda Vester, who has accused NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw of sexual misconduct, asked NBC to stop fighting the #MeToo movement “within its own walls." She was referring to a letter that circulated in support of Brokaw, signed by more than 60 women in the media industry.
“I ask NBC Universal to retain an outside investigator to look into sexual harassment and any coverup of sexual harassment at NBC News,” Vester added.
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