LOS ANGELES, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles Times Publisher and CEO Ross Levinsohn was asked by the newspaper's senior editors to immediately resign or be fired Thursday evening after his history of sexual harassment was revealed.
The move against the media mogul was triggered by a National Public Radio (NPR) report on Thursday. The report detailed Levinsohn's two past settlements paid in sexual harassment lawsuits at two different corporations and other inappropriate workplace behavior.
The report, based on court documents and interviews with more than two dozen witnesses, not only exposed Levinsohn's dishonorable behavior in his career, but also said he used to "aggressively kiss and press himself" against a woman at a music industry party in Las Vegas in view of his employees and clients.
He was also described by the report as a homophobe.
The Los Angeles Times Guild organizing committee issued a statement Thursday evening, calling for an independent investigation to clarify whether Levinsohn has acted inappropriately since last August, when he became publisher of the newspaper. The newspaper has aggressively disclosed the sexual misconduct of powerful men in the fields of entertainment, politics and media.
Twelve senior editors from the Los Angeles Times released a statement to NPR Thursday evening, saying "Levinsohn's behavior is unacceptable and jeopardizes the newspaper's 136-year legacy of integrity."
"As senior editors at the Los Angeles Times, we are deeply concerned about reports that publisher Ross Levinsohn has admitted in sworn testimony to at least two acts of sexual harassment in connection with his previous employment. We are also aware of additional, credible reports that Levinsohn engaged in other acts of sexual misconduct in the workplace, and used a vulgar, homophobic epithet," the statement reads.
"The organization should not be led by anyone who has engaged in this behavior, if it is true, particularly given the publication's role in investigating multiple industries and governments on the topic of sexual harassment."
Levinsohn, a former executive at Yahoo and Fox Interactive Media, has so far not responded to NPR's report and the request of the senior editors.
