We could say that 2022 was not a good year for Drew Lauterformer director of iHeart, who was fired from his position after a controversial video was leaked in which he allegedly used inappropriate racial language. But since the truth always triumphs, shedding its light against falsehood and bad intentions, it has been known through a private investigation that said video was a whole montage prepared to discredit the president of iHeartorchestrated by a disgruntled former employee, who had been fired for sexual harassment and who had the purpose of blackmailing him.
It has also been discovered that the video did not reflect the truth. According to the independent investigation, the employee gave Lauter a medication that looked like an aspirin, but was likely a benzodiazepine, for the purpose of altering her behavior and recorded her actions. Furthermore, the video was doctored and was not even presented to iHeart.
When someone is fired from their job, not only the affected person is involved, but also their family, therefore, there is no doubt that the moral weight that Lauter has had to bear during all this time of uncertainty has been very great. , until finally the light of truth came and he can breathe easy.
On the other hand, although the former director of iHeart he would not be able to consciously utter offensive words against any ethnic group or race, because it is not part of his values as a human being or of his behavior, and once he did so under the influence of psychotropic substances that were administered to him and that he agreed to take , under the false belief that it was a pill for his shoulder pain, has humbly apologized publicly for what he said, feeling more committed than ever to diversity and inclusion in his career.
Unauthorized recording is illegal, especially when done for the purpose of damaging the public image of someone you consider to be your enemy. Such was the case of Lauter, the victim of a dirty personal revenge that brought consequences, not only work, but also moral.
This leads us to another reflection, because you cannot draw hasty conclusions about an alleged inappropriate behavior without checking the evidence that supports it.
The conduct of Drew Lauter He has always been faultless, he himself could not identify with the speech delivered in the manipulated video, because the words were inconsistent with his way of thinking and acting. The private investigation brought the truth to light and he was finally able to understand how the events happened.
Going back to the facts and to definitively clarify the issue and according to the report of the private investigation carried out, we make some conclusions:
1. The former employee supplied Lauter with the drug on the premises where the events were taking place, probably a benzodiazepine, under the guise of aspirin, for his shoulder injury and incited and recorded him as part of his plan for future extortion .
2. The video was not recorded after a golf event, as the media erroneously expresses. Lauter left the event early in the day after suffering a shoulder injury and was accompanied by a close friend who, noting his erratic state, took the keys from him and drove the car to his home, where several other people were also traveling. , including the direct boss of the former employee fired for sexual harassment.
3. The video appears to have been altered and manipulated. Through the investigation it was learned that he was kept for a year without being presented to anyone in iHeartwhich was only done after a futile attempt to reach an agreement.
Lauter’s words of thanks to his friends and family for their unconditional support during all this time of doubts have been released and published, and he has reaffirmed his commitment to diversity and inclusion, which he considers vital for his personal and professional growth. .
He also stated that this event has strengthened him to continue with his mission and purpose in life. He also warned about the dangers of manipulating information in today’s world, where anyone has access to a smartphone or recording equipment and where, furthermore, the desire for scoop and immediacy of the news can never overcome the common sense of disclosing facts without verify them, because the objective truth is an essential part of the code of ethics of journalists and communicators.
Because, although the truth has come to light and the public image of Drew Lauter has been vindicated, the process to get to this point is extremely painful and could have been avoided.
When the truth always wins out: the case of Drew Lauter and the manipulated video that led to his firing