The last time reported on celebrity astrophysicist and author Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, he was opining about a Truth Force . . . “one that defends against all enemies of accurate information, both foreign & domestic.”
Now, the scientist is being visited by a special type of “truth force,” as investigators look into several allegations that he sexually abused colleagues and associates. Additionally, work on his show has been halted in the wake of this news.
The National Geographic channel will not air any new episodes of “StarTalk” until the investigation into the astrophysicist is completed, the Times has confirmed….In November, two women accused Tyson of sexual misconduct in a story published on Patheos. Katelyn N. Allers, a physics and astronomy professor at Bucknell University, claimed she was “felt up” by Tyson at a 2009 party in an encounter she described as “uncomfortable and creepy.”In the same story Tyson’s former assistant Ashley Watson accused him of “inappropriate sexual advances” that forced her to quit her job.Allers and Watson’s allegations followed those made several years ago by Tchiya Amet, who accused Tyson of rape while the two were graduate students at University of Texas at Austin in the 1980s.
DeGrasse Tyson has denied all the charges against him. Additionally, he addressed several of the allegations against him in a detailed Facebook post, a snippet of which follows:
For a variety of reasons, most justified, some unjustified, men accused of sexual impropriety in today’s “me-too” climate are presumed to be guilty by the court of public opinion. Emotions bypass due-process, people choose sides, and the social media wars begin.In any claim, evidence matters. Evidence always matters. But what happens when it’s just one person’s word against another’s, and the stories don’t agree? That’s when people tend to pass judgment on who is more credible than whom. And that’s when an impartial investigation can best serve the truth – and would have my full cooperation to do so.I’ve recently been publically accused of sexual misconduct. These accusations have received a fair amount of press in the past forty-eight hours, unaccompanied by my reactions. In many cases, it’s not the media’s fault. I declined comment on the grounds that serious accusations should not be adjudicated in the press. But clearly I cannot continue to stay silent. So below I offer my account of each accusation.
Further work on the show will wait upon the outcome of the investigations.
After the allegations appeared, Fox and National Geographic released a joint statement, saying, “We have only just become aware of the recent allegations regarding Neil deGrasse Tyson. We take these matters very seriously, and we are reviewing the recent reports.””StarTalk” producers added in last month’s statement that they “are committed to a thorough investigation of this matter and to act accordingly as soon as it is concluded.”
I will admit I am not a fan of deGasse Tyson based on his dreadful “Cosmos” series and his assertions about my second favorite planet in the solar system. However, I hope the investigators do find the truth and justice shines forth in this case.
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