More accuse Rose; some say they alerted CBS
With 27 more women alleging former news anchor Charlie Rose of sexual misconduct, a report Thursday calls into question CBS News’ claims that his behavior was a surprise before he was fired last November.
The Washington Post said that on least three occasions prior to that, women reported discomfort about Rose’s actions to superiors. Rose was fired as “CBS This Morning” anchor and PBS cancelled his interview show after an earlier Post report on women who said he groped them, made lewd remarks or walked around naked around them.
In one new allegation, a former research assistant said Rose exposed his penis and touched her breasts when they worked at NBC News’ Washington bureau in 1976. The Post said Rose, 76, told the newspaper in an email that its story was inaccurate and unfair.
Since Rose was fired, CBS News said it has taken steps to ensure a safer workplace, including mandatory misconduct training. Network news President David Rhodes and other key managers have said they were unaware of Rose’s actions. Yet the Post outlined two episodes where word had reportedly spread:
• Annmarie Parr was a 22-year-old news clerk in 1986 when she handed Rose a script and he asked whether she enjoyed sex and how often she liked to have it. She told a senior producer about it and said she didn’t want to be alone with Rose, and said her boss laughed and said, “Fine, you don’t have to be alone with him anymore.”
• In 2011, a woman who worked at “CBS This Morning” said Rose forcibly kissed her at a holiday party. She complained to the show’s top producer, Chris Licht, but asked him not to tell human resources about it. Licht told the newspaper he followed her wishes and also talked to Rose about the incident.