Two universities have formally stripped Charlie Rose of his journalism awards, less than a week after he was publicly accused of sexual harassment and lewd conduct.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, panels at both Arizona State University and the University of Kansas decided to rescind Rose’s awards in wake of the misconduct allegations. ASU had awarded Rose the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2015; KU honored him with its National Citation Award earlier this year.
“The damage caused by Mr. Rose’s actions extends far beyond the news organizations for which he worked. The actions victimized young women much like those who make up the overwhelming majority of Cronkite students – young women who deserve to enter workplaces that reward them for their hard work, intelligence, and creativity and where they do not have to fear for their safety or dignity,” Christopher Callahan, founding dean and professor of the Walter Cronkite School at ASU wrote in a statement. “In rescinding this award, we hope to send an unequivocal message that what Mr. Rose did is unacceptable, and that such behavior – far too common in not just media companies but many organizations–must stop.”
KU’s William Allen White Foundation Board of Trustees released a similar statement on Friday, writing: “After recent reports detailed sexual harassment and a pattern of unprofessional behavior by Rose during his career, the William Allen White Foundation decided that Rose does not exemplify the ideals of this award.”
Earlier this week, the Washington Post published a story in which eight women accused Rose of making “unwanted sexual advances toward them, including lewd phone calls, walking around naked in their presence, or groping their breasts, buttocks or genital areas.”
Rose has since issued an apology for his inappropriate behavior; however, he claims not all of the allegations are accurate.
Shortly after the Post’s story was published, it was announced Rose had been fired from CBS News. PBS also announced it had canceled Rose’s namesake interview program, which debuted in 1991.
