New Reports Add Details to Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior by Garrison Keillor

You may have read up on the details regarding the allegations of inappropriate behavior by Garrison Keillor. If you need a refresher, check out our article detailing the allegations. Recently, radio host Garrison Keillor of Minnesota Public Radio was fired due to accusations of inappropriate behavior with work colleague. In response to these claims, Keillor has released a statement: “I put my hand on a woman’s bare back. I meant to pat her back after she told me about her unhappiness and her shirt was open and my hand went up it about six inches.” According to Brooklyn Vegan, the network president known as Jon McTaggartnhas said that the colleague who made the claims never stated that Keillor engaged in unwanted touching, but rather that there were dozens of times in which the radio host allegedly touched her in a sexual manner that was unwanted. In fact, the colleague’s attorney has released a letter of 12 pages in which it describes all the alleged unwanted advances of several years. One of the claimed instances is detailed to a subordinate who was involved in a romantic manner with Keillor. However, the undisclosed romantic partner allegedly received a check of $16,000 from his production company, asking the partner to sign an NDA which barred her from ever divulging details about her relationship with Keillor. Other alleged instances include, as told by Brooklyn Vegan, “in 2012, Keillor wrote and publicly posted in his bookstore an off-color limerick about a young woman who worked there and the effect she had on his state of arousal. A producer fired from The Writer’s Almanac in 1998 sued MPR, alleging age and sex discrimination, saying Keillor habitually bullied and humiliated her and ultimately replaced her with a younger woman. A 21-year-old college student received an email in 2001 in which Keillor, then her writing instructor at the University of Minnesota, revealed his “intense attraction” to her.”

Due to the seriousness of these alleged behaviors, the network has decided to implement its own independent investigation. Over 60 people were interviewed for this investigation. See the whole report here.