Austrian ORF chief steps down after harassment allegations

Roland Weissmann, director general of Austrian public broadcaster ORF, has resigned following allegations of sexual harassment.

The broadcaster said the allegations were made by an ORF employee. According to the station, Weissmann denies the allegations but the management believes the situation needs to be investigated quickly and transparently. It also thanked him for his roughly 30 years of service to the company.

According to a statement by lawyer Oliver Scherbaum, the ORF Foundation Council, which performs a role similar to that of a supervisory board, informed Weissmann of the allegations relating to the beginning of his term of office in 2022. At the same time, it gave him several days to resign from his position.

According to his lawyer, Weissmann has still not received all the details of the allegations. Nevertheless, he decided to resign to prevent damage to the reputation of the public broadcaster.

The lawyer also criticised ORF for informing the media about the allegations before they had been fully investigated. According to him, this may have violated his client’s personal rights, and he announced possible legal action.

Ingrid Thurnher, director of the radio division, has been appointed interim head of ORF. Weissmann had led the broadcaster for four years.

(reuters, max)