NPR’s newsroom during election coverage on Nov. 8, 2016. The network has been rocked in recent weeks by allegations of sexual harassment. Stephen Voss/NPR
As NPR’s Board of Directors meet in Washington, D.C., this week, the network finds itself confronted by a series of dispiriting developments: a CEO on medical leave; a chief news executive forced out over sexual harassment allegations; the sudden resignation of a board chairman; fresh complaints over inappropriate behavior by colleagues; and a network roiled by tensions over the treatment of its female workers.
On Wednesday, NPR Board Chairman Roger LaMay announced that he was stepping down at the end of his second one-year term. LaMay, who remains on the board, said he needed to devote more time to running the popular Philadelphia public radio music station WXPN, where he is general manager.
However, according to a knowledgeable source, LaMay is the subject of a complaint filed with NPR alleging past inappropriate behavior. Few additional details are currently known.
“I finished my second term and chose to not run again,” LaMay said in a statement. “I did not make this decision based on a third party story about my personal life over a decade ago. I welcome any Board Committee review.”
NPR’s public relations staff did not directly respond to questions about LaMay. The network said it “encourages people to come forward with concerns they have about situations that have made them feel uncomfortable” and that it takes “both the allegations and their consequences seriously.”
