Every state has statutes of limitations on all sorts of crimes. It doesn’t matter what anybody here thinks.
The lawyers are having fun though. 15 year old accusations are close to nil in most states.
My response is to raise kids who feel free to speak their minds and while respecting others, respect themselves first.
All great. But my guess is that there are thousands and thousands of men out there still in positions of power over women who are still doing this stuff every day. If you work for a small business with no HR department, or the HR department is ineffective, or you are in a position like a PhD lab where you PI can kill your career, or you are in a business where it is hard to change jobs, or maybe you had a consensual relationship that would cause you to be let go and the other person is now blackmailing you into continuing, or the whole atmosphere is “guys will be guys” and the person who maybe should be protecting you has smutty picture hung up in his office.
There were longtime rumors about Matt Lauer being a womanizer and speculation that he is the father of Natalie Morales baby which she vehemently denied. What a week with Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, and Garrison Keillor along with all the others, Al Franken, Louis C.K, Kevin Spacey, etc. etc Just today it was announced that Russell Simmons was simarily accused and stepping down from his positions at various companies.
I worked in a lab with glass offices and glass walls for 15 years. No one was ever raped in those offices and labs as far as I know.
However, whenever a woman walked down the hallway in those glass buildings with glass walls, several of my male co-workers would rush up to the glass and hold up rating cards – you know, 9.5, 9.7, 10.0 – so that the unfortunate passer-by could see how her appearance was being judged. Yes, I complained, but those offenders were never criticized or punished. Boys will be boys. Blah blah blah.
Eventually behavior DID change, but it had nothing to do with the glass walls. New management came in, laid the hammer down on all that stupid behavior, and set strict sexual harassment policies.
In other words, I’m sure the glass helped somewhat, but what really cleaned up that workplace was upper management and a change in the corporate culture.
“Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”
Luke 12:2-3
There is nothing new under the sun.
I worked on the other side of a partition from a guy who told tough xxx rated jokes several times/day. Female boss told us all to ignore him. She never spoke to him about it.
One of the real points is not to have this culture of silence. This idea time wipes away transgressions isn’t helping.
My boss himself told those jokes to other men in the company, located in different states. He was in the office next to mine and I could hear him on the phone.
@gouf78 says
Lauer may be sweating bullets. NY doesn’t have a SOL for Class A rape.
I don’t know whether his alleged crimes meet the requirements for a Class A rape, but, given the hoopla over Cy Vance’s (Manhattan DA’s) failure to pursue Harvey Weinstein, if someone DOES file a criminal complaint, I think there may be more reluctance than usual to just let it go…
And statutes of limitations are for criminal matters. NBC many be looking at a lot of civil suits.
^ And LAUER may be looking at a lot of civil suits.
There are SOLs for civil cases; the SOL for civil cases for rape is 5 years in New York.
ETA to add the info below.
Here is another clip of Lauer that has a whole new meaning now. http://ew.com/tv/2017/11/30/matt-lauer-huge-bag-of-sex-toys/ Hey, for alll I know Lauer’s version is the truth, but Viera clearly says she doesn’t remember a sex therapist; didn’t do the segment, and didn’t get a bag of sex toys.
Right, but you don’t sue for rape, you sue for ongoing discrimination, failure to promote, hostile work environment. NBC will be paying off those suits quickly.
Wondering about the terms of his termination package with NBC. Will any settlements that NBC pays these women be contingent on their agreement not to sue him personally? He walked away without so much as a peep about wrongful termination and I have to assume he got something on the way out the door.
While the evidence is there with regard to the Russia Olympics intern, he could have dragged them through the mud on some of the other claims. I think when NBC settles these claims he will be covered.
@harvestMoon1 I also said he must have walked with a great package and some type of “protection” from NBC. I have no proof, just experience in corporate world.
Yes, I don’t think you see too many people with his resources walking away so quietly from a contract like he had. Even if they have little standing they kick up some dust which brings everyone to the table. And NBC has some vulnerability here too so they have reason to want to wrap this up quickly and quietly.
But then there could be more women coming forward…
I think at least some of the other claims will also be time barred. For example, the woman who alleges Lauer raped her in his office says it happened in 2001 and she left NBC a year later. I doubt that she can bring a civil suit.
I know that most of the commentators think Lauer got some sort of package, but personally…His contract ends some time in 2018. I personally doubt that NBC will give him a severance package larger than the amount remaining on his contract. That’s likely a substantial amount, of course, but more than that? I doubt it.
Plus, NBC was aware of the investigations–that’s how all this came to a head. There are numerous articles saying that Lauer had been interviewed several times by NBC and asked whether there was anything of concern. Each time, Lauer vehemently denied it. I don’t think NBC will be in the mood to “make nice” with Lauer knowing he repeatedly lied.
I do wonder if there was a “morals clause” in his contract…
Finally, Lauer was fired in 36 hours if the reports are accurate. I just don’t think it’s that likely there was time to negotiate a severance package.
I don’t think Lauer got a package. All this happened in 24 hours. He was fired and not allowed to resign. He was not allowed a last goodbye on the air. I’m sure his contract will not be paid out and he will not sue to get back wages because then even more will come out. He was fired for cause. He won’t even get unemployment!
If he had been in a position to negotiate, he would have. He was fired.
@twoinanddone Lauer’s salary was $24 million/year. I don’t think that he will miss not collecting unemployment.
Usually a contact provides for nothing when you are fired for cause but Bill O’Reilly walked away with $25M and Ailes got something like $32M. Contract terms can be ignored when companies want something to go away quickly.
oh I bet he walked away with at least the balance of his contract.
It doesn’t matter what he got, his wife will take half when they divorce.