Anita Hill: Next CBS CEO Will Be Invited to Fill Moonves Slot on Sexual Harassment Commission

By Ted Johnson

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Anita Hill, the chair of a commission on sexual harassment and inequality in Hollywood, said CBS’ next permanent CEO will be invited to fill the slot vacated by Leslie Moonves, the longtime chief of the network who resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct .

Moonves recused himself from the Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace shortly after claims against him first surfaced in a New Yorker article by Ronan Farrow last month, Hill said.

“We remain eager to fill this vacancy, and will invite CBS’ new CEO to serve as a Commissioner once the Board of Directors selects Mr. Moonves’ permanent replacement,” Hill said in a statement. “The reason is simple. The Commission was created when 25 of Hollywood’s most significant institutions — including major studios, television networks, streaming services, music companies, talent agencies, trade associations, and unions — accepted the invitation to work together to set best policies and practices aimed at eliminating sexual harassment and bias in the entertainment industry.”

She added, “Given this ambitious mandate, it is vital that all of our Commissioners are able to speak for their respective organizations and are empowered to commit them to real action. It is our belief that CBS’ new permanent Chairman and CEO will have the requisite authority to function effectively as a Commissioner and to demonstrate CBS’ commitment to the Commission’s critical mission.”

She said they will continue to work with CBS in the interim.

The commission was created in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal last year.

The New Yorker published another story by Farrow on Sunday, in which six additional women accused Moonves of sexual misconduct. In one instance, a woman accused him of violently throwing her against a wall.

Moonves said in a statement late on Sunday that “untrue allegations from decades ago are now being made against me that are not consistent with who I am.”

Joe Ianniello, the COO of CBS, is serving as acting CEO.