Former television presenter Charlie Rose has reached a settlement in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by three women following his dismissal from CBS News in 2017 and the termination of his long-standing PBS talk show.
In agreeing to the settlement, the plaintiffs stated that they do not attribute any “ill intent” to Rose and acknowledged that his actions could be open to interpretation. Legal representatives for both Rose and the women, who were younger employees accusing him of “predatory behaviour” and “blatant and repeated sexual harassment,” submitted court documents this week confirming the lawsuit’s resolution. The online court docket listed the case as settled, although the terms were not disclosed.
The trial was scheduled to commence on Monday in Manhattan after years of disputing the women’s allegations and the dismissal of their retaliation claims against Rose. In a statement, plaintiffs Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal, and Yuqing Wei expressed that the litigation and pretrial evidence exchange had allowed both sides to “better understand each other’s points of view.”
The veteran TV host has previously apologised for his behaviour, including in a statement just before his November 2017 dismissal after more than eight women came forward with allegations of misconduct.
Rose said, “It is essential that these women know I hear them and I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior.
“I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken.”
Rose’s downfall was part of the #MeToo movement, a social media-driven campaign addressing sexual misconduct by powerful figures.
Rose now hosts an interview show on YouTube, where his recent guests have included author Michael Lewis and broadcaster Bob Costas.
Harris, McNeal, and Wei filed their lawsuit against Rose and CBS in New York state court in May 2018, approximately six months after CBS terminated his position as an anchor on “CBS This Morning,” and PBS and Bloomberg Television ended his nightly “Charlie Rose Show.”
Harris worked as a broadcast associate at “CBS This Morning” and later as an associate producer for Rose’s PBS show. McNeal was Rose’s executive assistant, while Wei was a news associate and later an anchor assistant for Rose at “CBS This Morning.”
The women, all in their early 20s when employed, accused Rose of subjecting them to persistent physical and verbal sexual harassment, including inquiries about their sex lives and boasts about his own. They accused CBS of failing to prevent Rose’s harassment.
CBS settled the case in December 2018 for an undisclosed amount, with the women requesting confidentiality regarding the terms.
Had the lawsuit been trialled, Rose’s lawyer indicated he would challenge the credibility of Harris, McNeal, and Wei’s claims with evidence suggesting they had previously expressed minimal concern about the former anchor.
Among the evidence, lawyer Jonathan Bach noted in a 13 November filing, were documents indicating Wei had informed a CBS human resources officer that she experienced nothing “sexually inappropriate” while working for Rose, and that McNeal had told her therapist she had no personal experience of sexual harassment by Rose.
Further evidence cited by Bach included Harris’s statement to her therapist that any harassment by Rose was “very subtle” and an email to Rose two months after her employment ended, in which she described his interactions with her as “always professional and respectful.”
Frances Ibiefo
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