Matt Lauer Sexual Misconduct Investigation Findings Side With Accusers

NBC has concluded its investigation over Matt Lauer’s alleged sexual misconduct in the workplace. The result of the probe sides with the former news anchor’s accusers.

On Wednesday, Entertainment Tonight obtained a copy of the investigation report on Lauer’s case and it says investigators found the four accusers of the television personality to be “credible.” The investigation team also noted in the report that they did not find evidence to prove that the big bosses at the network was aware of Lauer’s inappropriate behavior.

“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,” an excerpt from the report read.

It was also stated in the report that Lauer’s four accusers “confirmed that they did not tell their direct manager or anyone else in a position of authority about their sexual encounters with Lauer.” However, one of the complainants said that prior to her sexual encounter with the former “Today” show co-host in 2001, she had an inappropriate interaction with Lauer where he put his hand on her thigh and gave her a sexually suggestive comment.

The complainant said she reported the incident to her manager at the time and the latter “inquired about her well-being.” She then revealed that the manager assigned her to other projects aside from the ones that would require her to have some interaction with Lauer. The manager confirmed the conversation that they had to the investigators, but she said she did not report the incident to anyone.

Meanwhile, women’s advocacy groups are criticizing NBC’s manner of handling the investigation over Lauer’s sexual harassment scandal. Press Forward, an initiative that seeks to stop sexual harassment and assault in newsrooms, has released a statement about the investigation.

“To truly assess culture and get honest responses from employees, we recommend hiring an independent third party, as is common practice,” the initiative’s co-founder Eleanor McManus stated, according to Variety. “No one is going to be fully candid when speaking to management for fear of losing their jobs. News organizations, journalists and media all hold corporations, governments, and individuals to higher standards in similar instances, so it’s concerning that NBC would not choose to follow those same standards itself.

Another advocacy group called UltraViolet echoed the same sentiment saying, “This is a classic example of the fox watching the hen house and why organizations – like NBC – need to have external, not internal, investigations. Matt Lauer was able to prey on women within NBC for years because he was seen as a star and untouchable. This mindset came from the top.”

Lauer was fired from the “Today” show last November over sexual assault complaints, and NBC immediately started its internal investigation on the issue. Lauer has yet to comment on the investigation’s findings, but a source close to him told People that he remains “truly devastated” over the things that transpired starting late last year.