Former Radio Host Garrison Keillor Fired For 'Improper Behavior'

SAINT PAUL, MN — Minnesota Public Radio fired former radio host Garrison Keillor on Wednesday after an allegation of "inappropriate behavior" was lodged against him by someone he worked with, the station announced.

"Last month, MPR was notified of the allegations which relate to Mr. Keillor’s conduct while he was responsible for the production of A Prairie Home Companion," the station said in a statement. MPR also retained an outside law firm to investigate the claims, the statement said. The investigation is ongoing.

The station did not elaborate on the nature of the complaint against Keillor, but noted in their statement that "discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or other inappropriate behaviors will not be tolerated."

In an email to The Minneapolis Star Tribune, Keillor wrote that he was fired for putting his hand "on a woman's bare back."

“I meant to pat her back after she told me about her unhappiness and her shirt was open and my hand went up it about six inches. She recoiled. I apologized," Keillor wrote. "I sent her an email of apology later and she replied that she had forgiven me and not to think about it. We were friends. We continued to be friendly right up until her lawyer called.”

In a separate statement, Keillor said he was fired for "a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard."

"It’s some sort of poetic irony to be knocked off the air by a story, having told so many of them myself, but I’m 75 and don’t have any interest in arguing about this. And I cannot in conscience bring danger to a great organization I’ve worked hard for since 1969,” Keillor wrote.

Keillor retired from the variety show in 2016 and handpicked his successor, Chris Thile, who is now in his second season as host.

Keillor, a Democrat, wrote a syndicated column published in The Washington Post Tuesday night, arguing that Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat also from Minnesota, should not resign over sexual misconduct allegations against him.

In the piece, Keillor wrote:

"Franken should change his name to Newman and put the USO debacle behind him and then we’ll change frankincense to Febreze. Remove the slaveholder Washington from our maps, replacing him with Wampanoag, and replace Jefferson, who slept with Sally Hemings — consensual? I doubt it — with Powhatan, and what about the FDR Drive in New York, named for a man who was unfaithful to his wife? Let’s call it RFD and let it go at that."

It was not the first time Keillor spoke about sexual misconduct.

In a 1994 address to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Keillor spoke about the Whitewater investigation into President Bill Clinton and said: "We should be careful, though, not to make the world so fine and good that you and I can't enjoy living in it. A world in which there is no sexual harassment at all is a world in which there is no flirtation."

Minnesota Public Radio said in the statement Keillor had been fired after it received a single allegation of “inappropriate behavior” and doesn’t know of any other similar allegations.

Keillor started the Saturday evening show in 1974, introducing Americans to his fictional hometown of Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, "where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."

Keillor was the producer of the radio show "The Writer's Almanac," which MPR said it will no longer distribute or broadcast. MPR also announced it will no longer replay previous broadcasts of "The Best of A Prairie Home Companion," hosted by Keillor. Furthermore, MPR will change the name of new episodes of "A Prairie Home Companion" under host Chris Thile.

In the video below, Keillor talks about sexual harassment beginning at 31:00.

The Associated Press and Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Baenen