Axed Keillor staffer 1st alleged sex harass

The person who first accused the creator of “A Prairie Home Companion” of inappropriate conduct with a female employee was a disgruntled male staffer who spoke up after he was fired from the show last summer, according to a report published Friday.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the informant was Dan Rowles, who had been a close associate of Garrison Keillor and a 16year employee with the show.

His disclosure triggered internal and external investigations by Minnesota Public Radio that concluded Keillor had engaged in dozens of sexually inappropriate incidents over the years involving a longtime female writer for the show whose name has not been made public.

The woman did not give station officials her own account until two months after Rowles told them of Keillor’s alleged misconduct.

Attorney Frances Baillon, who represents both Rowles and the woman, declined to address why the writer chose to wait until last fall to lodge a complaint against Keillor. But she said Rowles was not acting from selfish motives.

“Because our client believes people should feel safe at work, he raised his concerns about inappropriate workplace conduct,” she said.

Keillor, who has denied the allegations and described himself as a victim of “extortion,” declined to comment to the Star Tribune, saying he is still “tied up” in his talks with MPR to settle their legal separation.