On the heels of an explosive Washington Post report that claims more than two dozen women have accused him of sexual misconduct, Charlie Rose and CBS are being sued by three women who allege they were harassed by the ousted host.
Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal and Chelsea Wei are suing Rose and the network alleging “blatant and repeated sexual harassment” and unlawful retaliation.
According to the complaint filed Friday in New York state court, Harris worked as a broadcast associate for CBS This Morning before taking a job as an associate producer for Rose from 2016 to 2017; McNeal worked as Rose’s executive assistant in 2017; Wei worked as a news associate, executive assistant and anchor assistant from 2015 to 2018.
They all claim they were subjected to physical and verbal sexual harassment by Rose, including that he would caress them and kiss them on the cheek and boast about his sexual conquests. They also claim Rose verbally abused them. Both McNeal and Wei say he referred to them as a “fucking idiot.”
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Harris and McNeal say they were terminated after a November Washington Post article about sexual harassment allegations against Rose. (Rose was fired by CBS shortly thereafter.)
Wei claims in November she filed a complaint with CBS human resources and the company retaliated by demoting her, which caused her to fall ill and prompted a medical leave of absence.
The suit claims Rose has been engaging in workplace sexual harassment since at least 1986, when seven female employees sued the network, and CBS has continually looked the other way. The plaintiffs are suing for discrimination and harassment and retaliation. They’re seeking lost wages plus punitive and compensatory damages.
Representatives for CBS and Rose have not yet replied to a request for comment on the complaint, which is posted below.
