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What annoys me is that Savannah Guthrie was all "I'm heartbroken for Matt" (and then tacked on the same comment about the accuser at the end of glowing remarks about Matt.)
In my opinion she should be neutral when she's in a reporter/anchor/host role. I agree with the posters above who said that NBC wouldn't have gotten rid of Matt so offhandedly unless there was legitimate and credible evidence. They would have just taken him off the air until the accusations were proven not credible. (I do agree that sometimes accusations are made untruthfully. Since we really don't know, being heartbroken for someone who may have used his position in a sinister way is just misguided.
The standard of 'innocent until proven guilty' is a legal one pertaining to the criminal justice system. By your logic, no one can ever be fired for anything short of a criminal conviction.
Now, Matt Lauer is not just another employee. He has, or had, a personally-tailored contract with NBC. That contract is likely long. Very long. It undoubtedly has a substantial personal-conduct section which delineates the terms under which NBC can unilaterally terminate Lauer's employment. Matt Lauer signed this contact, thereby agreeing to its terms in whole.
NBC has a massive amount invested in Lauer, who is tied to the NBC brand. When they received this accusation, NBC - which, breaking news, has an HR department - launched an investigation, if for no other reason than to protect their brand. They ultimately had to decide whether keeping Lauer on or firing Lauer was more damaging to their brand. This will be a very costly move to NBC. They fact that they chose to undertake this very costly move clearly and obviously indicates that the results of their internal investigation found that the accusation was sufficiently credible that keeping Lauer on would have been even more costly to their brand.
If you're naive enough to think that NBC simply decided "Well, we've got a single accusation. Let's not investigate it. Just just fire Matt.", well, that's your problem.
What's really sad is how many people are so damn resistant to the idea that sexual harassment is widespread and pervasive, especially professions where one finds extreme power-dynamic differentials.
Even after all this time -- I'm 64 -- I am still both surprised and shocked when something like this happens, and I don't know which would shock and surprise me more -- that he IS guilty, or that NBC would have the guts to fire him. (Unless, that is, they just want to head off and/or not have to deal with an ongoing investigation and media storm.)
I'm honestly not surprised. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that most men in power with an inflated sense of self importance abused their position of power. Not that I'm accusing every man of sexual harassment/assault, I'm just not surprised anymore with each new news report.
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But, to be clear, if he WAS guilty of anything more than short-lived and unwanted "heavy flirting" -- in other words, if he was guilty of any unwanted PHYSICAL sexual contact, then I think that it was right that he was fired.
So you think sexual harassment is okay, as long as it doesn't last too long?? Nope, men should know how to behave in an appropriate manner, especially at work. Unwanted "heavy flirting" is unprofessional, regardless of whatever cutesy name you come up with for sexual harassment.
I am not a fan of Lauer's; he always struck me as smug, and I despise what he did to Anne Curry. However, I have to wonder "why now"? Have there truly been no scandals for 20 years, or did NBC manage to hide all this for 20 years? Does anyone think this is a one time thing, all of a sudden? Is this a set-up operation by a certain politician who blames Matt Lauer for her loss because he asked her difficult questions in a debate?
It's open season on men! How many of these cases are legitimate??
Most if not all, I'd bet.
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. Not enough coffee yet.