AccuWeather settled sexual harassment claim; ex-CEO awaits Trump nomination confirmation
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WJAC) — They are one of the hottest names in the field of weather. Yet, for employees of the State College based AccuWeather, it's alleged to have been a cold place to work, with accusations of sexual harassment and other misconduct.
The claims are coming to light as the company is paying off a six-figure agreement with the Department of Labor after they were made aware of these allegations. The agreement comes at a time where Congress is considering accepting President Trump's nomination of Barry Myers, AccuWeather’s former Chief Executive Officer, to run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In documents obtained by 6 News through right-to-know requests, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs sent a “Notification of Results of Investigation” in January 2018 to AccuWeather, detailing "specific, alleged violations" related to the business The report said the company subjected female employees to sexual harassment and a hostile working environment.
In June 2018, the Labor Department and AccuWeather signed off on a conciliation agreement where AccuWeather agreed to resolve the allegations without accepting fault, "in the interest of resolving the specific alleged violations amicably and without engaging in further legal proceedings."
In exchange: AccuWeather agreed to improve their workplace environment and company policies, provide training, and pay up to 35 people a settlement of $290,000.
The document 6 News obtained had all names redacted and it does not show who the allegations are made specifically against, or specifics of those violations. The agreement shows that the employees had separated from AccuWeather between January 1, 2014, and December 21, 2017, and that four additional people had already received payment from AccuWeather.
6 News sent a Freedom of Information Act request asking for copies of the alleged violations found. The request was denied by OFCCP because the FOIA and Privacy Act, which prohibits the disclosure of complaint file documents and or information to a third party without consent from the complainant.
Myers, who was named CEO of AccuWeather in 2007, was first nominated by President Trump in October 2017. The Senate Commerce Committee twice advanced his nomination to the full Senate, but his confirmation was stalled by Democrats.
The committee’s then-minority chairman, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., expressed concerns over Myers’ support of an old bill that then Sen. Rick Santorum proposed in 2005 that would have prohibited NOAA from competing with private providers, like AccuWeather. There were also concerns that his family would continue to run the company Barry’s brother Joel founded.
Joel Myers, as President of AccuWeather, signed off on the sexual harassment agreement with OFCCP.
Since the full Senate never voted on his confirmation, Barry Myers’ nomination expired both times. On January 16, he was resubmitted for approval by the White House.
His nomination may have a better chance of passing this time around. Republicans now enjoy a bigger majority in the Senate, and Sen. Nelson was narrowly voted out of office last November.
Barry also resigned as CEO, effective January 1. The company said in a statement that he also sold all of his interest in the company and its subsidiaries and affiliates to fulfill his commitment to fully divest himself from Accuweather.
Myers, in a phone call with 6 News on Friday, denied that he has had any specific allegations made against him.
Rhonda Seaton, Director, Marketing Communications for AccuWeather, released the following statement on behalf of the company.
AccuWeather cooperated with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), part of the U.S. Department of Labor, on a workplace audit and signed a Conciliation Agreement in July of last year. The agreement confirmed our compliance with, and implementation of, continuing equal opportunity programs to strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion. AccuWeather clearly denied any allegations raised after the audit, and we are using this opportunity to partner with the OFCCP to further enhance our strong programs to promote workplace inclusion and diversity.AccuWeather has been and continues to be qualified as a federal contractor.The White House did not return a request for comment regarding this report.
A spokesperson for Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said they will carefully examine Mr. Myers’ qualifications if his nomination gets to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.
Senator Casey will carefully review his qualifications and background for this vital position. Senator Casey has serious concerns about this potential nomination. The Department of Labor agreement is another troubling piece of information that must be reviewed closely.The office of Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., has not responded to our request for comment.
There is no word on when Myers’ could be re-voted on in the Senate Commerce Committee.
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