Charlie Rose sued by three former CBS employees for sexual harassment

Charlie Rose was sued on Friday by three former CBS employees, who allege that he sexually harassed them and threatened their jobs.

The lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court, alleges that Rose habitually made sexually suggestive comments and engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with the three employees. The plaintiffs are Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal, and Yuqing (“Chelsea”) Wei, each of whom alleges that Rose harassed them in 2017. The lawsuit also accuses CBS executives of failing to warn the employees about Rose’s history of sexual misconduct.

Rose was fired in November from his job as co-host of “CBS This Morning” after the Washington Post reported that eight women alleged he had sexually harassed them. The Post followed up on Thursday with a new report citing another 27 complaints of harassment dating back to the 1980s. The Post also alleges that CBS executives were warned about his behavior and failed to respond.

The three plaintiffs are each cited in Thursday’s Post report. According to the suit, Rose would invite Harris and McNeal out for dinners, and then sexually touched them on their thighs and kissed them on their cheeks. He also quizzed them about their sex lives and suggested they become lovers, according to the suit. The suit also states that Rose referred to Wei as “China doll,” caressed her arms, and whispered in her ear “Happy birthday, dear.”

“Mr. Rose openly engaged in unlawful sexual harassment against Plaintiffs during business hours, at the CBS Studios, at Charlie Rose Studios, as well as offsite,” the lawsuit states.

The suit alleges that Rose would also berate the three young staffers, calling them “idiots,” and questioning their abilities.

According to the suit, Rose fired both Harris and McNeal after the first Washington Post article was published. Wei filed an HR complaint, and was subsequently moved to a different assignment. She is now on medical leave, according to the suit.