Matt Lauer Button Lock Twitter Reactions

Photo: Peter Kramer/NBC/Getty Images.

Following Matt Lauer's termination from NBC after a colleague complained of sexual misconduct, Variety has published a report detailing similar allegations from three other women, corroborated by friends and colleagues to whom they confided at the time. These accusations include instances like Lauer allegedly giving a female colleague a sex toy with a note about how he wanted to use it on her, reports that he'd play "fuck, marry, or kill" with other men about the women in the office, and make suggestive comments, invite women to his hotel room, and other inappropriate behavior.

However, there's one detail that is particularly shocking:

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

"His office was in a secluded space, and he had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his door from the inside without getting up. This afforded him the assurance of privacy. It allowed him to welcome female employees and initiate inappropriate contact while knowing nobody could walk in on him, according to two women who were sexually harassed by Lauer."

Twitter latched onto this horrifying aspect of the story, and can't get over how unbelievable it is that it was allowed to exist.

It's like the dude in a horror movie who asks the contractor to sound proof his basement so he can "watch loud tv."
— Madison Malone Kircher (@4evrmalone) November 29, 2017

"It's like the dude in a horror movie who asks the contractor to sound proof his basement so he can 'watch loud tv,'" commented writer Madison Kircher.

I don't even understand the mechanics of this button. Is it like hydraulics?? Black magic??? https://t.co/yPI7KBMzgA
— Allison P Davis (@AllisonPDavis) November 29, 2017

"I don't even understand the mechanics of this button. Is it like hydraulics?? Black magic???" added writer Allison Davis.

Hmm maybe don't ever give anyone a button like this? https://t.co/6msOFKxE3H pic.twitter.com/Rp2JmUF5VD
— Caity Weaver (@caityweaver) November 29, 2017

"Hmm maybe don't ever give anyone a button like this?" GQ's Caity Weaver helpfully suggested.

Matt Lauer had a button under his desk that let him lock the door behind women who had just entered his office, but yes please tell me again how men no longer being alone with women at work will fix everything.
— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) November 29, 2017

"Matt Lauer had a button under his desk that let him lock the door behind women who had just entered his office, but yes please tell me again how men no longer being alone with women at work will fix everything," wrote #GrabYourWallet cofounder Shannon Coulter.

Next let's find the guy at NBC who approved Matt Lauer's "Turn My Office Into a Casual Sex Prison" desk button.
— Kevin Fallon (@kpfallon) November 29, 2017

"Next let's find the guy at NBC who approved Matt Lauer's 'Turn My Office Into a Casual Sex Prison' desk button," added entertainment writer Kevin Fallon.

These tweets go on and on:

So Matt Lauer was basically running a sex dungeon at the push of a button pic.twitter.com/TYJd0eTFz4
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) November 29, 2017

Matt Lauer's "office was in a secluded space, and he had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his door from the inside without getting up."

That's... yeah no that's creepy as hell I'm not going to mince words here https://t.co/eky6mZFS60
— Steph Haberman (@StephLauren) November 29, 2017

The details of Matt Lawyer’s sexual harassment are horrifying. He allegedly had a button at his desk he could use to lock his door from the inside, so he wouldn’t be disturbed while exposing himself to colleagues. https://t.co/WTpq5Ev7Vq
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) November 29, 2017

A former NBC News executive clarified that these buttons are somewhat common:

FYI, as strange as it sounds in print, several execs at NBC News have this auto door close switch under their office desks at 30 Rock. I always found it to be intimidating but not unusual.
— Betsy Fischer Martin (@BFischerMartin) November 29, 2017

It's safe to say it's maybe time to rethink those buttons...as well as a whole lot of other things the Variety report addressed.

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Refinery29 has reached out to NBC for comment.

If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Read These Stories Next:

You Should Not Be "Shocked" By Harvey Weinstein
Here's A List Of Every Woman Who Has Come Forward About Harvey Weinstein
How These Powerful Celebrities Are Condemning Harvey Weinstein