Vice Media Fires 3 Employees After Harassment Complaints
Vice Media fired three employees for behavior ranging from “verbal and sexual harassment to other behavior
that is inconsistent with our policies, our values, and the way in which we believe colleagues should work together,” a company executive said in a memo to employees.
Mr. Mojica confirmed in an email that he had been fired and said that he was “deeply disappointed by this outcome.”
Vice, which is based in Brooklyn, began in Canada 23 years ago as a free punk magazine
and retained much of its brazen attitude as it evolved into a corporate behemoth with a presence in film production, publishing, music, cable television and more.
But according to two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal decisions, the
three comprised Jason Mojica, the head of Vice’s documentary films unit, as well as an editor and a producer for the company.
An article by The Daily Beast last month cited complaints from various Vice employees about pervasive
sexual harassment in the workplace that were said to be largely ignored by management.
“I believe the confidentiality of the process is necessary to protect all those who wish to bring allegations to me
and to create a fair, safe and inclusive environment for all employees,” Ms. Tohyama wrote.
Phoebe Barghouty, a former associate producer at Vice, told The Daily Beast
that she repeatedly experienced sexually inappropriate behavior from a Vice bureau chief who is no longer with the company.