NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News, on Friday announced that former employees who signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) are allowed to speak about sexual misconduct that may have taken place at the network.
“Any former NBC News employee who believes that they cannot disclose their experience with sexual harassment as a result of a confidentiality or non-disparagement provision in their separation agreement should contact NBCUniversal and we will release them from that perceived obligation,” a spokesperson for NBCUniversal said in a statement.
The announcement was made on MSNBC's “The Rachel Maddow Show" before she interviewed Ronan Farrow, whose new book, "Catch and Kill," detailed sexual harassment and assault taking place at the network.
NEWS: NBCUniversal offers to release "any former NBC News employee who believes that they cannot disclose their experience with sexual harassment" because of an NDA "from that perceived obligation." pic.twitter.com/zr2dewKDmR
— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) October 26, 2019
The decision comes days after a handful of high-ranking female anchors sent a letter to Comcast Corporation's Board of Directors, asking them to launch an independent investigation into the sexual misconduct that took place at the network and the network's attempts to cover them up.
One of the three things that women called on the network to do was to have "NBC declare that all current and former employees may seek waivers from their non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in any sexual misconduct cases so that they can speak freely and publicly."
