Major media players start commission for sexual misconduct
The chair, Anita Hill, calls for an end to a ‘culture of silence.’
LOS ANGELES — The biggest figures and institutions in entertainment have established a commission to be chaired by Anita Hill that intends to combat sexual misconduct and inequality in the industry in the wake of the huge wave of revela- tions spurred by allegations against Harvey Weinstein.
A state m ent Friday announced the founding of the Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advanc- ing Equality in the Work- place, a group that grew out of a meeting called by “Star Wars” producer Kathleen Kennedy and several other prominent women in the industry.
“The Commission will not seek just one solution, but a comprehensive strat- egy to address the complex and interrelated causes of the problems of parity and power,” Kennedy said in a statement.
The chief executives of nearly every major Holly- wood studio, TV network and record label attended the meeting and agreed to found and to fund the group, the statement said. The long list includes Disney CEO Bob Iger, Paramount CEO Karen Stuart, Universal Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge and CBS chief exec- utive Leslie Moonves.
The movie and music acad- emies and many of the major agencies and unions that represent entertainers also signed on.
“The fact that so many industry leaders — across film, television, music, dig- ital, unions, agencies ... and guilds — came together, in one room, to explore solutions speaks to a new era,” Kennedy said.
The group chose as its c hair t he law professor Hill, who brought the concept of sexual harassment to national consciousness in 1991 when she testified during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas.
“It is time to end the cul- ture of silence,” Hill said in a statement. “I’ve been at this work for 26 years. This moment presents us with an unprecedented opportunity to make real change.”
The commission said in its statement that it would reconvene immediately after the first of the year to hone its mission, scope and priorities.
The revelations about Weinstein in the New York Times and the New Yorker in October have brought on two months unlike any the media world has ever seen, with nearly daily allegations of sexual harassment assault and abuse involving some of the most prominent players in entertainment including Kevin Spacey, Louis CK, Dustin Hoffman and Russell Simmons.