Managers were warned about Rose
Incidents of sexual harassment by Charlie Rose were far more numerous than previously known, according to a new investigation by the Washington Post, which also found three occasions over a period of 30 years in which CBS managers were warned of his conduct toward women at the network. An additional 27 women — 14 CBS News employees and 13 who worked with him elsewhere — said Rose sexually harassed them. Concerns about Rose’s behaviour were flagged to managers at the network as early as 1986 and as recently as April 2017, when Rose was coanchor of CBS This Morning, according to multiple people with firsthand knowledge of the conversations.
Rose’s response to the new allegations was delivered in a one-sentence email: “Your story is unfair and inaccurate.”
The new allegations follow an earlier Post report on Rose’s behaviour at his namesake PBS program, in which eight women accused the TV star of making lewd phone calls, walking around naked in their presence or groping their breasts, buttocks or genital areas. His PBS show was cancelled and he was fired from CBS News.
The new allegations against Rose date back to 1976, when, according to a former research assistant, Joana Matthias, he exposed his penis and touched her breasts in the NBC News Washington bureau where they worked. “This other personality would come through, and the groping would happen,” said Matthias, now 63. An NBC News spokesperson declined to comment.