The Washington Post announced Wednesday that it is suspending veteran reporter Joel Achenbach for 90 days for “inappropriate workplace conduct” involving current and former female colleagues, effective immediately.
“The Washington Post is committed to providing a safe and respectful work environment for all employees,” Managing Editor Tracy Grant said.
“We will continue to investigate any allegations that come to light and will take further action if necessary.”
The Post said in a statement that the suspension was made following an investigation that involved interviews with current and former employees at the paper, though the specifics of Achenbach’s behavior were not disclosed.
Achenbach, who has written for The Post since 1990, admitted guilt in his own statement and apologized to his colleagues.
“I’m very sorry to say that I’ve behaved badly and have been suspended by The Post for three months for inappropriate workplace conduct,” he said. “I’ve said and done things that were unprofessional, and I apologize to the women affected by this and acknowledge their courage in speaking out.”
His suspension follows recent punishments of other media personalities for misconduct and harassment, including New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush, who was suspended in November for workplace behavior, and PBS hosts Tavis Smiley and Charlie Rose, who were both dropped from the network following sexual harassment allegations.