New York, NY – On October 31, 2017, Michael Oreskes, the chief editor at National Public Radio (commonly known as “NPR”) resigned following multiple allegations of sexual harassment. Oreskes had joined NPR in 2015, and the accusations against occurred long before he joined NPR. Oreskes is the latest media figure to confront allegations of sexual harassment and be forced to step down.
Back in the 1990s when Oreskes was the Washington Bureau Chief of the New York Times, he allegedly forcibly kissed two different journalists in meetings. Both of there female journalists said that they only met Oreskes under the pretext of career advice and possible career opportunities when he suddenly kissed them on the lips.
The victims, who remain anonymous, brought their unfortunate stories to NPR’s attention only recently. Although these claims likely fall out any statutes of limitation, barring them from the court, the claims are nonetheless serious and are being investigated.
The day after his resignation, Oreskes stated that he was deeply sorry for the people he had hurt and added, “My behavior was wrong and inexcusable, and I accept full responsibility.”
In addition to the claims against him from the 1990s, two years ago Oreskes was involved in another incident of sexual harassment involving an NPR female producer, Rebecca Hersher. Hersher complained that she at a 2015 dinner with Oreskes he talked about sex and inquired about her personal life. This made Hersher extremely uncomfortable and Oreskes left her feeling that he “undercut my confidence.”
If you feel you have suffered sexual harassment or subject to unlawful discrimination on the job contact one of our New York City sexual harassment attorneys at the Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC today for a free consultation. Our attorneys have years of experience litigating claims of gender discrimination. Please give our attorneys a call at (800) 807-2209 for a free consultation.
