U.S. NBC fires "Today" anchor Matt Lauer over sexual misconduct

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. NBC News announced Wednesday it had fired Matt Lauer, an anchor of the "Today" program for two decades, after reviewing a detailed complaint about his inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.

The alleged behavior took place during the 2014 Sochi Olympics and continued afterwards, NBC News confirmed.

NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said the complaint, made by a colleague of Lauer, prompted a serious review and represented a "clear violation" of the company's standards.

Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer, 59, for his behavior since he became an anchor of the show in 1997, but there was reason to believe it may not have been an isolated incident.

"Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender," Lack said in a memo to employees sent Wednesday morning,

"Our impression at this point is that NBC acted quickly, as all companies should, when confronted with credible allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace." Ari Wilkenfeld, who said he's the lawyer for the woman who accused Lauer, told The New York Times.

Lauer's departure comes in the wake of sexual misconduct complaints lodged in recent months against high-profile men across entertainment, politics and media in the United States. Enditem