TED Talks Empire Grapples With Sex Misconduct Problem: WaPo

WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Post reported Friday that sexual misconduct has plagued TED talk events for years — including a complaint by TED’s general counsel that she was inappropriately touched at the nonprofit’s flagship event in April. TED began as a company that sponsored talks from world leaders, academics and others, but as the Post reports, “events have become known as a meeting place for the global elite, particularly leaders in the technology industry.”

At least five people who attended the April conference reported that they had been inappropriately touched, including general counsel Nishat Ruiter and a past main stage speaker, the Post reported. Attendees told the Post the issue goes beyond just this year’s conference. “The same thing was happening five years ago. It’s still happening,” Nilofer Merchant, an author and former Apple executive told the newspaper. “What’s different now is we’re sharing our stories.”

In a statement to the Post, the organization wrote: “We did hear from a small number of women attendees at TED2017 about harassment. As a result, two men were immediately disinvited and won’t be returning.”

Head over to the Washington Post for the full story.

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