The publisher of the Los Angeles Times has ‘voluntarily agreed to take an unpaid leave of absence,’ while an investigation is underway into past allegations of inappropriate conduct, the paper’s parent company, Tronc Inc., said Friday.
It was brought to light that Ross Levinsohn has been a defendant in two sexual harassment lawsuits stemming from alleged conduct at past companies, NPR reported on Thursday.
Levinsohn is also accused of using sexist and homophobic language with subordinates, prior to coming to work for the LA Times in August.
Levinsohn told NPR on a phone call that the allegations were not true.
This comes as the Southern California paper voted to unionize earlier this month.
The final tally confirming the yes vote by the overwhelming margin on 248-44 was released on Friday by the National Labor Relations Board.
Now that the unionization vote has been verified, the Times’ newsroom will be represented by Washington, DC-based NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America.
Ross Levinsohn, publisher of the Los Angeles Times, has ‘voluntarily agreed to take an unpaid leave of absence,’ while an investigation is underway into past allegations of inappropriate conduct; Levinsohn is seen here in New York City on December 2, 2013
Levinsohn’s voluntary leave falls short of what was called for by a petition circulated around the LA Times newsroom on Thursday.
More than 200 staff members called for his firing, labeling him ‘unfit to lead the news organization, especially as it has been aggressively pursuing allegations of sexual harassment by Sacramento politicians and Hollywood entertainment figures,’ the Times reported on Friday.
‘Levinsohn has lost credibility as the leader of one of the country’s top newspapers,’ the petition read.
Senior editors, separately, reportedly told the board of Tronc: ‘Such behavior is unacceptable and jeopardizes The Times’ 136-year legacy of integrity.’
Members of the LA Times Guild organizing committee released their own statement on the matter, via social media on Thursday, before an investigation was confirmed to be underway by Tronc.
‘Ross Levinsohn should resign or be fired immediately,’ the statement read.
‘A man who sexually harasses women, engages in “slut-shaming” and refers to gay men as “fags” is not fit to lead our newspaper.”
Levinsohn’s voluntary leave falls short of what was called for by a petition circulated around the LA Times newsroom on Thursday, and in a statement released by the LA Times Guild organizing committee
Members of the LA Times Guild organizing committee released their own statement on the matter, via social media on Thursday, calling for Levinsohn’ ouster from the LA Times
Ross Levinsohn, the publisher of the Los Angeles Times, is accused of sexual misconduct and creating ‘frat house’ work environments over the last two decades of his career
It was after these statements were made that Levinsohn was announced to have been placed on voluntary leave.
While he is on leave, Levinsohn’s role will be filled Times President Mickie Rosen while the company completes its review, Tronc CEO Justin Dearborn said.
‘I want to reemphasize to you all that the Company takes any allegations of inappropriate behavior by its employees very seriously,’ Dearborn said in his statement.
‘It is critical that in any such circumstances we conduct a thorough review so that we have a full understanding of what happened. We will not hesitate to take further action, if appropriate, once the review is complete.’
The allegations that have surfaced against Levinsohn date back to the early 2000s.
After reviewing court documents, financial filings and interviewing 26 of Levinsohn’s former colleagues, NPR reported the Times’ publisher had been accused of rating female colleagues by their ‘hotness’ and aggressively kissing a woman in front of his co-workers.
Levinsohn was hired by the Times in late August; He is now under investigation by the paper’s parent company Tronc
While he is on leave, Levinsohn’s role will be filled Times President Mickie Rosen while the company completes its review, Tronc CEO Justin Dearborn said
An NPR report claims Levinsohn has been a defendant in two different sexual harassment lawsuits and former colleagues of his have questioned his behavior in the workplace
In one lawsuit filed in 2001 by a former employee of the search engine Alta Vista, a female worker accused Levinsohn and other top executives of creating a hostile work environment.
A former executive for the company also testified that Levinsohn was ‘creating a frat house environment’ and his ‘behavior was inappropriate’. The executive said she had warned other top bosses about Levinsohn’s behavior.
During a sworn testimony, Levinsohn reportedly admitted to rating his female colleagues on their ‘hotness’ and speculating whether one woman had a side job as a stripper.
In 2006, a video producer sued Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp claiming she was sexually harassed and subjected to gender discrimination.
At the time, Levinsohn was a senior vice president at the company.
The woman said in her suit that when she asked Levinsohn for a promotion he pointed to a female reporter who was a former pinup model and said she had ‘learned how to work her way up to the top’.
The veteran media executive was also accused of aggressively kissing a female colleague n front of everyone, including his co-workers, at a music industry dinner.
Levinsohn was reportedly married at the time.
During a sworn testimony, Levinsohn reportedly admitted to rating his female colleagues on their ‘hotness’ and speculating whether one woman had a side job as a strippe; The publisher and CEO was also accused of aggressively kissing a woman while he was married in front of employees at a music industry dinner
Levinsohn called the allegations ‘lies’ during a call with NPR.
Levinsohn was hired at the Los Angeles Times in August.
The LA Times’ parent company Tronc said in a statement that it expects all employees ‘to act in a way that supports a culture of diversity and inclusion’