"Social media is not just a place we 'go' anymore. It's a place we live, work, and play. That's why it's more crucial than ever to ensure that all people can safely access these spaces and freely express themselves without fear of retribution," Jenna Sherman, campaign director at UltraViolet
"Adriana Smith's family should have had a choice. Her mother was clear that she wanted to make the decision about whether her daughter's body should be kept on life support. But Georgia doctors and legislators failed Adriana and her family." said Arisha Hatch, interim executive director of UltraViolet
“We support survivors, and that includes supporting survivors to make their own decisions to make deals with their abusers,” added Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of the anti-rape group UltraViolet, in a statement emailed to USA TODAY. “But it’s hardly lost on us that these brave women made the only choice that was available to them under our flawed and disempowering judicial system. Survivors of sexual abuse deserve better.”
This is not the potential end to all civil lawsuits against Weinstein: It doesn’t include one famous accuser of Weinstein, Ashley Judd, who’s filed a separate sexual harassment and retaliation suit against him in California. She has said she wants a trial in her case.
In the letter, which was coordinated by the women’s advocacy group UltraViolet, the senators say they’re concerned about the message it sends to sexual assault survivors if the Democratic debate happens without the network’s parent at least agreeing to conduct an investigation into allegations of harassment, assault and a cover-up at NBC News.
The candidates join a rising chorus of voices calling for NBC to truly get to the bottom of a swirl of allegations, including claims of harassment and assault that led to the firing of “Today” show host Matt Lauer and questions over the way Ronan Farrow’s reporting on Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct was handled.
Current and former NBC employees, media critics and women’s rights advocates, including UltraViolet, have demanded a thorough transparent accounting of what happened. UltraViolet is also demanding the firing of NBC News President Noah Oppenheim, MSNBC executive Phil Griffin and anyone in leadership that enabled abusers.
A handful of protestors gathered outside NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Center on Wednesday to demand the ouster of top NBC News executives for the network’s handling of internal sexual misconduct allegations, among other issues.
The feminist advocacy org UltraViolet organized a demonstration outside of NBC News headquarters to deliver a petition with nearly 20,000 signatures calling for the firing of NBC News president Noah Oppenheim and MSNBC president Phil Griffin. Oppenheim recently signed a new contract with NBC News and is expected to succeed Andy Lack as chairman of the division after the 2020 presidential election.
NBC News has been at the center of controversy for two weeks amid the publication of Ronan Farrow’s book “Catch and Kill,” which details what he describes as NBC’s effort to quash his reporting on sexual assault allegations against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Farrow criticizes NBC News for its handling of internal sexual misconduct and harassment claims, most notably those involving former “Today” anchor Matt Lauer, who was fired in November 2017.