When I awoke this morning, I learned that NBC had fired Matt Lauer following allegations of sexual misconduct.
By this afternoon, Minnesota Public Radio had dismissed former Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Both men have now joined the list of men who have become persona non grata due to their alleged misbehavior. Yet their alleged misbehavior is far from the same. There is a hell of a difference between indecent exposure by multiple women and inadvertently touching a woman's back. Why is Keillor subject to the same punishment as Lauer? Is it because Keillor had the temerity to defend his fellow Minnesotan Al Franken in op-ed? Would this allegation have come to light had Keillor not commented on Franken's situation? If Keillor warrants discipline it should be because of his own behavior during the incident in question, not his views of the allegations against Franken or anyone else.
It will be interesting to see if there are further allegations against Keillor in the coming days. If none are forthcoming then I think a case can be made that Minnesota Public Radio has overreacted in a political environment of borderline hysteria. Putting a hand's on a woman's bare back simply doesn't rise to the level of forcible sexual assault.
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