Hollywood power players team up to fight sexual misconduct, led by Anita Hill
A collection of some of the most powerful people in Hollywood have formed a commission to address issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the workplace, naming Anita Hill as its lead.
After the past few months saw dozens upon dozens of accusations of sexual misconduct against people in the entertainment industry and beyond, a group of executives from companies and organizations like Disney, Netflix, Paramount, and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences formed the Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace, Variety reported Friday.
"The commission will lead the entertainment industry toward alignment in achieving safer, fairer, more equitable and accountable workplaces -- particularly for women and marginalized people," the commission stated in a release.
Melissa Silverstein of Women and Hollywood reported on the commission's inaugural meeting, spear-headed by Nike Foundation founder and co-chair Maria Eitel, philanthropist and venture capitalist Freada Kapor Klein, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, and lawyer Nina Shaw.
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Hill, a U.S. attorney who brought Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's sexual harassment to light during his Senate confirmation hearing in the early '90s, will chair the commission. In addition to leading the group, Hill is a member of the board of directors of the National Women's Law Center and the Boston Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.
"I'm proud to be leading this newly-formed commission on a long overdue journey to adopt best practices and to create institutional change that fosters a culture of respect and human dignity throughout the industry," Hill said, per Silverstein.
"It is time to end the culture of silence. I've been at this work for 26 years. This moment presents us with an unprecedented opportunity to make real change."
An additional two dozen executives, founders, and senior members from companies and organizations across the entertainment industry make up the commission and attend its first meeting in 2018.
