NBC Conclusion in Matt Lauer Investigation

More than five months after Matt Lauer was fired from NBC News over sexual misconduct allegations, the network’s internal investigation concluded that management was unaware of accusations against the former Today Show anchor.

“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 reads. “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. 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.”

• Kim Harris, NBCUniversal‘s general counsel and two external firms conducted the probe.
• Furthermore, the report states that most of the 68 people it interviewed has “positive” things to say about Lauer, it noted that a “number of individuals interviewed said that Lauer could be flirtatious, would frequently make jokes, some with sexual overtones, and would openly engage in sexually-oriented banter in the workplace.”
• In response, Lauer issued a statement saying: “There are aspects of the NBC report with which I clearly disagree. However, I spent 25 wonderful years at the network, 20 of those at Today, and I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished as a team. On November 29, 2017, I was terminated by NBC after admitting to past relationships with co-workers. A day later I took responsibility for those relationships, apologized to the people I hurt and promised to begin the process of repairing the damage I had caused my family. I have worked every day since then to honor that promise.”
• The news hit social media with a thud, with many users mocking NBC’s conclusion that NBC was not at fault.