WASHINGTON–New revelations about CBS Chief Les Moonves’ long history of sexual harassment and abuse has finally led to his downfall—but he and CBS are still trying to hold on to his golden parachute. The network has announced it is still exploring a severance payment to the accused sexual predator, who committed the most heinous criminal acts against women he supervised, and then systematically destroyed their careers.

Jessica Pallington, who revealed Moonves’ history of sexual assault, including forced oral sex, told The New Yorker, “He should take all that money and give it to an organization that helps survivors of sexual abuse.”

We agree. CBS has said it will give $20 million to organizations that “support equality for women in the workplace,” but that’s just more tone-deaf avoidance of the real problem. This is not about pay equity–it’s about criminal conduct. This is not about workplace culture–it’s about enabling sexual predation.

Les Moonves should face justice for his crimes, not receive a payout to go away.

CBS should acknowledge its perfidy and responsibility, not be allowed to get away with a coverup.

We still haven’t heard what the network will do about 60 Minutes producer Jeff Fager, who has also been accused of sexual misconduct. CBS has betrayed the public trust, and the network can no longer be given the benefit of the doubt. The network is rife with men protecting men and their own pocketbook instead of ensuring women’s safety.

There is no doubt. There is no excuse for the network’s culture of misogyny. Sexual assault cannot be regarded as the price of doing business with high-profile, powerful executives. Sexual violence is a crime, and criminals must face accountability. Corporations that cover-up criminal behavior, or make excuses for sexual predators, do not deserve public support. CBS is part of every American household, and yet they’ve allowed a vile predator to sit at the head of their table.

We call on CBS to do the right thing. Les Moonves must face justice and CBS must fire Jeff Fager–and take serious steps to make survivors of sexual assault whole and protect women from further predation and abuse.

Support survivors. Believe women. The time is now! Enough is enough.

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

In what was a blatantly racist and sexist move, tennis umpire Carlos Ramos unfairly penalized Serena Williams in an abhorrent display of male dominance and discrimination. This would not have happened if Serena Williams was a man. She would have been cheered and chided for “gamesmanship.” Male tennis stars are reminding us that they have “done much worse” and have not been penalized.

Ramos claimed he was just following the rules, but in actuality, men stretch the rules all the time and are lionized for being “bad boys” while women are benched. This is also a prime example of how racism and sexism are two of the biggest obstacles that Black women in America face.

NOW is calling on the U.S. Tennis Association to cancel any contracts with Carlos Ramos to umpire tournaments in the future. It’s clear that Ramos abused his authority. This racist, sexist behavior needs to stop.

Contact

Brittany T. Oliver, comms@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

Labor Day is meant to be a day of celebration, marking the contributions made by all working people in the U.S.—but for women, it’s a reminder of how far we remain from full equality.

Women make up 47% of the labor force and are the sole breadwinners in 40% of families with children—and yet, the wage gap between working women and men persists in nearly every occupation.

Despite civil rights laws and advancements in women’s economic status, workplace discrimination still persists. For women of color, this inequity can be devastating. According to the National Women’s Law Center, African American women working full-time are paid 64 cents for every dollar a man earns, and Latina women are paid 56 cents for every dollar a man earns.

Women remain segregated into jobs where they are underpaid and undervalued. Women make up 95% of the workforce in industries considered “women’s work,” such as home care, child care, and housekeeping—yet most workers in these fields lack basic employment protections enjoyed by workers in other fields. And women are particularly vulnerable to an artificially low minimum wage that puts their families at risk.

Labor Day won’t be a holiday that’s truly worth celebrating until the gender pay gap is erased, the minimum wage is raised to at least $15, paid parental leave is universal and parents have access to subsidized childcare.

Until then, Labor Day will remain just another day for shopping and barbecues.

Contact

Brittany T. Oliver, comms@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is preparing new policies on campus sexual misconduct that turn the government’s response to assault, harassment and rape upside down. She wants to shred the Obama Administration’s guidelines for rightfully and aggressively holding schools accountable for complaints of sexual harassment and rewrite the rules to limit the definition of sexual harassment and favoring the rights of students accused of assault.

Under the Obama guidelines, schools could rely on the lowest standard of proof, or the “preponderance of evidence” when deciding whether or not an alleged perpetrator should be punished for sexual misconduct. But in Betsy DeVos’ upside-down land, schools could decide which level of evidence to rely on when investigating misconduct, narrow the definition of sexual harassment, and only be accountable for complaints which are formally filed.

Betsy DeVos sees no evil, hears no evil and speaks no evil against sexual predators on campuses across the country. Instead, she joins her partner-in-crime Donald Trump in railing against bureaucracy and standards of evidence that support survivors of sexual assault.

The new rules will not require congressional approval to be enacted, but lawmakers are not off the hook. Congress must call on Betsy DeVos to explain why she gives more weight to the feelings of the perpetrator and short shift to the survivors of the horrific crimes of sexual assault, harassment, and rape. Congress should strengthen the laws dealing with campus sexual violence and hold the schools and perpetrators accountable rather than covering up these crimes and letting schools and predators off the hook.

Contact

Brittany T. Oliver, comms@now.org, 202-628-8669

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

The observance of 2018 Women’s Equality Day in the U.S. is inseparable from the history of the fight for women’s right to vote. In honor of this important day, I will join Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and other supporters to ring the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Tuesday, August 28.

We have to remember that it was Jim Crow laws that kept most black women and men from voting. It wasn’t until passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 that the right to vote was extended to all adult citizens. However, those rights are under siege. Women’s Equality Day is a special reminder that we must protect women, particularly women of color, from the onslaught of voter suppression laws that can tilt the balance of elections.

For the first time, this year a woman has been named to lead the NYSE. Just over 30 years ago, there wasn’t even a ladies’ room on the 7th floor – where the men’s only lunch club occurred. Although the role of women at many of the companies traded at the NYSE has changed for the better over the years, there is still a long way to go. Many companies still need to make improvements – such as pay equity and more women executives – and there is more work to be done to achieve true equality.

If you haven’t already, take a moment to read “What’s unequal about Women’s Equality Day” to learn more about how much I appreciate Women’s Equality Day. Let us not forget how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go.

Contact

Brittany T. Oliver, comms@now.org, 202-628-8669