WE SuPPORT TOM

64 top NBC women back Brokaw in sex-harass rap

THERE WAS no #UsToo outpouring from Tom Brokaw’s female colleagues as the veteran NBC newsman faced charges of inappropriate behavior with a one-time network reporter.

More than 75 female NBC colleagues past and present instead signed a letter supporting Brokaw, citing the 78-year-old ex-anchor for treating them with “fairness and respect.”

Familiar network faces including MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, “Today” correspondent Maria Shriver and NBC News anchor Andrea Mitchell were effusive in their backing of Brokaw.

“As professional women, we fully endorse the conversation around abuse of power in the workplace,” the letter began. “In the context of that conversation, we would like to share our perspectives on working with Tom Brokaw.

“He has given each of us opportunities for advancement and championed our successes throughout our careers,” the letter continued.

“As we have advanced across industries — news, publishing, law, business and government — Tom has been a valued source of counsel and support.”

Brokaw emphatically denied the allegations made by former NBC Middle East correspondent Linda Vester, who accused him of making sexual advances toward her in separate 1994 and 1995 incidents. Another unnamed woman, who worked as a production assistant for the network, also accused Brokaw of touching her inappropriately. Brokaw’s response was immediate and incendiary, taking aim at The Washington Post and Variety for their reporting on the story. “I was ambushed and then perp-walked across the pages of The Washington Post and Variety as an avatar of male misogyny, taken to the guillotine and stripped of any honor and achievement I had earned in more than a half-century of journalism and citizenship,” Brokaw fired back. The news of Brokaw’s alleged indecent behavior comes less than a year after NBC News star Matt Lauer was fired for inappropriate sexual behavior.

Lauer also issued a statement Friday ripping “false stories from anonymous or biased sources.”

“Any allegations or reports of coercive, aggressive or abusive actions on my part, at any time, are absolutely false,” he told The Washington Post.

Vester told the Post that she was spurred to go public because of NBC’s failure to deal with the harassment issue in the post-Lauer world.

NBC News Chairman Andy Lack, disagreed, telling employees a “substantial culture assessment was underway at the network in the wake of the allegations.

“Once again, our highest priority is to ensure we have a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected,” he said.