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Allegations emerge that WBUR host was creepy, abusive

By adamg on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 8:15am

WBUR self reports on Tom Ashbrook, the "On Point" host put on leave last week.

Topics: 
Media
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WBUR
Tom Ashbrook


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Comments

By Irma la Douce on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 8:31am.

WBUR management knew about the behavior for years and did nothing substantive.

By CopleyScott17 on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 8:55am.

If you've never had to work for a jerk, I envy you.

By mrotown on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:00am.

Hysteria

By anon on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:36am.

You are a guy

By anon on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:48am.

Including yours.

By adamg on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:03am.

I've worked with jerks, but not ones who offer back rubs and sex talk.

By whyaduck on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:08am.

and that should not be acceptable in a workplace.

By CopleyScott17 on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:32am.

The question is, what constitutes abuse? Did he break laws or policies, or was he just a jerk? We'll see what the investigation reveals.

By anon on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:35am.

Changes over time. See: the 19th century.

What we, as a society, decide we are willing to put up with will change. And the bullies will need to evolve, or they can get lost.

By whyaduck on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 10:11am.

And that is my point, In an unequal power relationship, as between a boss and an employee, being abusive, either verbally or physically to your employees creates a hostile work environment. Unfortunately, we do not have laws on the books against bulling in the workplace but there is plenty of information out there about how it is detrimental to the health of your employees. It should not be tolerated for the aforesaid reasons.

Aside from that, it shows that you are a terrible leader.

There is no reason to be an abusive bully and/or jerk to your employees and I am frankly tired of hearing those in positions of power trying to make it all better by saying "Hey, I am just a tough boss" and/or "Hey, I just have high expectations" and/or whatever. Truly effective leaders, beloved by their employees, are not assholes.

By anon on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:33am.

"We've always had A-holes, so let's just resign ourselves to allowing the A-holes to get away with whatever they want."

Here's an opposing take - start organizing our culture around punishing A-holes for their anti-social behavior, and stop blaming victims. Time for the bullies to get what's coming to them.

By whyaduck on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 10:12am.

n/t

By theszak on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:37am.

...using interviewees' press packets as source material. The guy can give more thought to a topic than regurgitating guests' press material as interviews.

Bring back Chris Lydon... or a more thoughtful type of interviewer for the broadcast.

By Allstonian on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 10:20am.

Chris Lydon a more thoughtful interviewer? Hah! I stopped listening to him because he constantly interrupted and talked over his guests, or expounded at length while barely letting an interviewee get a word in. He supposedly loved music and musical guests, but whenever he had one he would talk right over the music.

In any case, WBUR has already "brought Chris Lydon back;" they've been broadcasting his weekly show Radio Open Source since 2014.

By theszak on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 10:41am.

Any better ideas?...

By lbb on Tue, 12/12/2017 - 8:35am.

Lydon was a pompous, conceited blowhard. The airwaves are better off without him.

By theszak on Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:37am.

Ideas please!...

By Lee on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 9:50am.

.. is that he has an annoying way of speaking on the radio. I won’t miss him.

By myname on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 10:53am.

uh-huh

mmm-hmph

By anon on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 10:49am.

Don't know if this guy is the jerk made out to be here,maybe, or maybe exaggeration, they are allegations with no proper adjudication. What's going on now with these daily accusations sounds like a classic witch hunt.

By ECG (nli) on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 12:21pm.

"Surely there can't be more than a small handful of sexual harassers and abusers! After the first couple, the rest must all be false accusations!"

Sorry, the can of worms has been opened and it's wider and deeper than many people care to believe. Some worms that we will see will be bigger and slimier than others, but it's time to shine a light and clean out the mess.

By anon on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 12:49pm.

the endless coverups are getting out of control

By roadman on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 1:45pm.

"let's presume people guilty and punish them BEFORE a full and proper investigation has been completed" witch hunt mentality is what's out of control here.

By BostonDog on Tue, 12/12/2017 - 5:59am.

It sounds like WBUR did investigate which is why he was dismissed. It doesn't take years to verify if someone's accusations have merit.

By Tim Mc. on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 3:20pm.

We're finally hearing from all the victims who have been afraid to speak out -- because they're seeing evidence that finally they might get taken seriously.

By anon on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 11:44am.

WBUR General Manager Charlie Kravetz should be suspended until this investigation is completed.

This appears to be Boston University's second case of workplace abuse that went on for years.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/11/20/bo...

By anon on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 3:45pm.

So he was both a bad boss AND he creeped on young women. With my male privilege, I've only had a series of bad bosses. No back rubs for me!

By Christian O'Brien on Tue, 12/12/2017 - 12:37pm.

And a terrible radio host as well! Guy is a triple threat!