Matt Lauer has been the face of Today, on NBC for quite some time. However, he will no longer be part of NBC’s tomorrow, after becoming the latest media figure to get fired over sexual misconduct.
While it’s no longer surprising to see major media figures ousted over sexual misconduct, somewhat surprisingly, Matt Lauer’s ouster has a small sports connection.
According to NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik, Lauer’s alleged misconduct occurred during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi:
con’t/ NBC News brass informed by HR on Tues AM – made decision to fire Lauer Tues evening. NBC aware that Variety & NYT had been exploring stories but neither had yet formally contacted network, per source.
— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) November 29, 2017
According to a memo from NBC News Chairman Andy Lack, “We received a detailed complaint from a colleague 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.”
It’s hard to imagine how “serious” this review was, given the timeline that Folkenflik gives in his tweet. Lauer has been a member of Today on NBC since 1994, and has served as the show’s co-anchor since 1997.
One would think that an investigation of an employee of that kind of standing, would warrant at least 48 hours. Then again, there’s the strong possibility that whatever evidence Lauer’s accuser presented was “detailed” enough, to remove doubt.
In any event, the Olympics are well-known for various instances of sexual misconduct and abuse. Allegedly, that doesn’t just apply to athletes.
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