NBC's TODAY Show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb broke the news Wednesday morning that their colleague Matt Lauer had been fired.
The network said Lauer was terminated after receiving a "detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace."
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Matt Lauer has been terminated from NBC News. On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment. pic.twitter.com/1A3UAZpvPb
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 29, 2017
NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack released this statement:
"Dear colleagues, on Monday night, 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. While its is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."
NBC News reports Lack said in a memo to employees that the complaint from a colleague of Lauer's prompted a serious review and represented a "clear violation of our company's standards."
Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer, 59, for his behavior since he took over as anchor of the show in 1997, but there was "reason to believe" it wasn't an isolated incident.
"Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender," Lack said.
Lauer's firing comes a week after CBS News fired morning anchor Charlie Rose amid reports of sexual misconduct.