The leaders of the Time’s Up movement sent a warning to CBS over Twitter on Wednesday morning, demanding a “full, transparent, and expedient” investigation into the recent allegations of sexual misconduct made against CBS chief Les Moonves.
The women’s fund — which was founded in January to combat sexual harassment and gender inequality in the workplace — said that it supported the six women who made claims against Moonves in a New Yorker article from journalist Ronan Farrow last week. “Six women have courageously shared their stories and accused CBS CEO Les Moonves of sexual harassment and assault,” the movement wrote. “We believe you. We are with you.”
The tweet also included an image with excerpts from the article, and warned, “We are watching.”
Six women have courageously shared their stories and accused CBS CEO Les Moonves of sexual harassment and assault. We believe you. We are with you. @CBS We are watching. We expect a full, transparent and expedient investigation. Now. #TIMESUP pic.twitter.com/Idrjm6SFFC
— TIME'S UP (@TIMESUPNOW) August 1, 2018
On Monday, CBS said in a statement that its board was “in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation.”
Moonves remains on the job.
In a statement in the wake of the New Yorker expose, Moonves said: “Throughout my time at CBS, we have promoted a culture of respect and opportunity for all employees, and have consistently found success elevating women to top executive positions across our Company. I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances.
“Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected – and abided by the principle – that ‘no’ means ‘no,’ and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone’s career. This is a time when we all are appropriately focused on how we help improve our society, and we at CBS are committed to being part of the solution.”
Moonves’ alma mater Bucknell University has removed references to the CBS chief executive from its website. This morning, Moonves and wife Julie Che asked USC Annenberg’s Julie Chen/Leslie Moonves and CBS Media Center to “temporarily suspend” use of their names until CBS concludes its investigation into sexual harassment accusations against Moonves.