Correction appended.
NBC responded to sexual misconduct allegations against its leading morning news anchor, Matt Lauer, by firing him Wednesday morning.
NBC received a detailed complaint Monday night about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, NBC News President Andrew Lack said in a memo to the company’s staff.
Lack said the allegation represented “a clear violation” of the company’s standards. He went on to say Lauer’s sexual misconduct may have been ongoing.
“While it 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,” Lack said.
The statement said NBC’s highest priority is to create a safe workplace environment and to ensure actions against the company’s values are met with consequences.
Lauer’s co-workers on Today learned the news shortly before going live. They began the show by coming forward with their own statements.
Savannah Guthrie, Lauer’s co-host, announced the news this morning.
“This is a sad morning here at Today and NBC News,” Guthrie said. “As I’m sure you can imagine, we are devastated. We are heartbroken.”
As of this morning, Guthrie said the staff did not know anything more than what was shared on the air.
“As journalists, I’m sure we will learn more details in the hours and days to come,” Guthrie said. “We promise to share that with you.”
OU students and staff alike are weighing in on the removal of Lauer, 59, who attended the Scripps College of Communication.
OU Student Senate President Landen Lama said he hopes this will inspire others to come forward with their experiences.
Sophomore Sami Morsink, a journalism student, said the situation is “disheartening.”
Amy Brown, an OU alumna, said she is keeping OU in her thoughts today.
Correction: A previous version of this report misstated Lauer's area of study. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
