Wed Oct 13, 2010 10:09pm EDT
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Lee Abrams, an executive at Los Angeles Times owner Tribune Company, has been suspended without pay, the company informed staff in a memo Wednesday.
Abrams, the company's chief innovation officer, had come under fire for forwarding an email featuring a video with gyrating and topless women. Just a few days earlier, a New York Times article detailed other misogynistic actions of executives at the media company.
Abrams apologized Wednesday for his "inappropriate" email.
Tribune's chief executive officer, Randy Michaels, wrote in a memo Wednesday that Abrams will remain on suspension while the company reviews the circumstances surrounding the email.
Michaels added, "This is the kind of serious mistake that can't be tolerated; we intend to address it promptly and forcefully.
"As I said last week (in response to the New York Times piece), a creative culture must be built on a foundation of respect. Our culture is not about being offensive or hurtful. We encourage employees to speak up when they see or hear something that they find offensive, as a number of employees did with regard to this particular email. I can assure you, you will be heard."
