A former PBS host accused of misconduct is addressing harassment in the workplace in a multi-city speaking series. But Indiana University alumnus Tavis Smiley did not make himself the focus of a town hall event he hosted at a church in Indianapolis Friday.
PBS severed ties with Smiley in December over "troubling allegations" made against the host. He announced the town hall series, "The Conversation: Women, Men and the Workplace" last month. Smiley opened the event by saying he would not be discussing his situation during the panel.
"The conversation isn't about me, it's about we," he says.
"I also know that we are in a dangerous space now where too many people are conflating consensual relationships in the workplace with sexual assault, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and rape."
Smiley called PBS's investigation "sloppy" and says he still doesn't know the nature of the allegations against him. He admitted that over the course of his career, he's had consensual relationships with colleagues but that was not something he regretted or backed away from.
The Witherspoon Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis was the last stop for Smiley on his five-city tour. He also hosted events in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and Chicago.
When asked if he is the right person to be leading discourse around this issue, Smiley says he's just the one convening a conversation.
"We get a chance to create a democratic space that's open and free to the public to come in, to engage experts, and to learn, in this moment. That's all this tour is," he says.
Three women joined Smiley onstage: Chairperson of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, Alpha Blackburn, Indiana University-Purdue University professor, Sheila Kennedy, and human resources consultant, Shaylae Dupris. Smiley and the panel shared opinions on the #MeToo movement as well as what they see as a lack of nuance in today's discourse around the issue.
"I also know that we are in dangerous space now where too many people are conflating consensual relationships in the workplace with sexual assault, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and rape," Smiley says.
Conversation also touched on how men and women can interact in the workplace and what accountability should look like.
Smiley will launch a new show, The Upside with Tavis Smiley, on the religious broadcasting network The Word in April.
