NEW YORK – Vice said Tuesday that its chief digital officer, who had been on leave while it investigated allegations of sexual misconduct, has left the company.
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The digital media company had said in early January that the executive, Mike Germano, was on leave, as well as its president, Andrew Creighton. The New York Times had reported in late December of sexual misconduct at Vice, including allegations of misbehavior by Germano and Creighton.
Vice did not reply to questions Tuesday about why Germano had left the company. A spokesman said the Creighton investigation is ongoing.
Vice has grown from a Canadian magazine to a dominant online video company, expanding into TV around the world. In a memo in early January, the New York-based company explained how it is trying to make its company culture better for women.
The Times had reported that a woman said Germano told her he didn’t want to hire her because he wanted to have sex with her. Another woman said he pulled her on to his lap at a work event at a bar.
The Times also reported that Vice paid a former female employee a $135,000 settlement in 2016 after she said she was fired when she rejected Creighton’s advances. Vice had said in its early-January memo that it was taking another look at her claims, which were found to lack merit at the time.
