Here is my letter as it appeared in the D-News. It was edited a little:
As funny and sometimes crude as David Letterman has been over the years, the fact that he was having many secret affairs with his staffers comes as no surprise to me. What I find creepy about it is the fact that he played the whole matter to his audience for laughs and applause.
It is no laughing matter.
It creates a hostile environment for every female on the staff.
It invalidates the system of merit raises and promotions for everyone on the staff, regardless of gender.
It creates a negative image for all of Letterman's advertisers.
It sheds a bad light on CBS and all of its affiliates.
If CBS continues to support Letterman, then KUTV should drop the program.
I also suggested that the advertisers of the program would be better served by dropping their support for the program. There is no victim in this "sexploitation" case. Letterman is no hero.
Now reading the comments about this letter, I think that most people missed the point. This letter is not about the moral issue of adultery. It is about the legal issue of sexual harassment.
If two peers at the office meet and it leads to an intimate relationship and neither is married. I say--keep it professional at the office.
If to peers have a physical relationship and one of them is married, it is a non issue until someone brings work into it. Then there will be consequences.
If there is a relationship between a manager and a sub-ordinate, you have a problem. If I am a peer of the sub-ordinate, then I have to wonder about all of my performance reviews, merit increases and promotions. This is true regardless of my gender. Sexual harassment hurts everyone, including everyone.
Also, I expect to make a major announcement in about 4 weeks.
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