NPR chief placed on leave after sex harassment accusations
NEW YORK (AP) — The chief editor at National Public Radio, Michael Oreskes, was placed on leave today after a published report he abruptly kissed two women who were seeking jobs while he was Washington bureau chief at The New York Times in the 1990s.
The women formally complained to NPR and told their stories to The Washington Post, speaking on condition of anonymity. Oreskes, vice president of news and editorial director at NPR, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Oreskes was a vice president and senior managing editor at The Associated Press from 2008 until he joined NPR in 2015.
An NPR spokeswoman, Isabel Lara, said Oreskes had been placed on leave after the allegations from the 1990s appeared in the Post.
NPR reported today Oreskes was formally rebuked after a separate incident two years ago where a female producer complained she was made to feel uncomfortable after a dinner in which Oreskes talked about sex and inquired about her personal life. The woman, Rebecca Hersher, said on the NPR report that "it undercut my confidence."
NPR said in a statement: "We take these kinds of allegations very seriously. If a concern is raised, we review the matter promptly and take appropriate steps as warranted to assure a safe, comfortable and productive work environment. As a matter of policy, we do not comment about personnel matters."
The women told the Post they had met with Oreskes to talk about job prospects, while he ran the Times' Washington bureau, when he unexpectedly kissed them and stuck his tongue in their mouths.