About That Secret Button in Matt Lauer’s Office
The anchor’s door-locking mechanism acts as a particularly vivid metaphor for the amount of power and protection many influential men enjoy.
by David Sims
Perhaps the single most horrifying detail from the litany of stories alleging sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by Matt Lauer is his secret button. “His office was in a secluded space, and he had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his door from the inside without getting up,” according to a Variety story published Wednesday, only hours after NBC fired him, citing a detailed complaint it had received about the Today show host. “This afforded him the assurance of privacy. It allowed him to welcome female employees and initiate inappropriate contact while knowing nobody could walk in on him.”
A second piece, published later that day by The New York Times, also acknowledged the button. In one instance, an unnamed former staff member said that Lauer summoned her into his office to discuss a story, and then locked the door from his desk before beginning to have sex with her; at some point, she passed out and woke up on the floor, after which Lauer had his assistant take her to a nurse.
