Time’s Up President Tina Tchen Says NBCUniversal Should Release Employees From NDAs, Calls For Independent Investigation

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After Rachel Maddow confirmed that NBC News execs told Ronan Farrow to put a “pause in any new reporting” on Harvey Weinstein and following NBCUniversal’s statement about releasing former NBC News employees from non-disclosure agreements preventing them from coming forward about sexual misconduct claims, newly minted Time’s Up president Tina Tchen came forward with a statement demanding more from the network.

“If NBC is truly committed to letting survivors and employees speak out about sexual harassment at the network, it should simply release them from their non-disclosure agreements,” she wrote on Twitter. “@TIMESUPNOW calls on @NBCUniversal to announce unequivocally that they are free to speak without any fear of retaliation.”

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She continued, “There is no reason to place the burden on those who choose to speak to reveal themselves in advance to
@NBCUniversal. This is an example of the burdens that perpetuate fear and silence, no matter what new policies and trainings may say.”

Tchen went on to say that “workplace harassment remains hidden not just by direct retaliation, but also when there is a fear that anyone who speaks or reports will be silenced” and that “NBCUniversal should want to know the unvarnished truth.”

She also said that NBCUniversal conduct an independent, outside investigation “into all the circumstances surrounding workplace culture at NBC and the journalistic decisions made at this important news outlet.”

In regards to the allegations made in Farrow’s book Catch and Kill, NBC News Chairman Andy Lack and NBC News President Noah Oppenheim have denied them. Oppenheim issued a lengthy rebuttal letter the day before it was published, calling the book a “smear.” He also denied that NBC News sidelined Farrow’s reporting on Weinstein after the producer threatened to expose Matt Lauer.

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