NOS Sport directors resign over transgressive behavior reports; Hotline head steps down

The editors-in-chief of NOS Sport are resigning with immediate effect after reports of transgressive behavior and an unsafe working climate in the broadcaster’s sports division. Janke Dekker - the partner of Tom Egbers, one of those accused of transgressive behavior - also announced that she would step down as chair of MORES, the hotline for transgressive behavior in the media.

On Friday, the Volkskrant reported widespread transgressive behavior at NOS Sport. Among other things, Egbers allegedly bullied and harassed a female colleague after he ended an affair with her when his partner Dekker found out. Egbers already announced that he would not appear on television for the time being.

According to NOS, an inventory it commissioned showed that almost a hundred people had reported bullying and sexual harassment, among other things, to external confidential advisers. The reports cover the past 20 years. For nearly that entire period, since 2004, the editorial staff of NOS Sport had been led by departing editor-in-chief Maarten Nooter and his deputies Pim Marks and Ewoud van Winsen. Selma Schuurman joined later.

On Thursday, the editors-in-chief announced they would resign in a phased manner over a period of months. Following the Volkskrant’s article, they decided to step down immediately.

According to NOS director Gerard Timmer, they made the initial decision to ensure “care and continuity.” But after the conversations held since then, “the concept of urgency” became clear, Timmer said. “We have to do that phased withdrawal faster.”

Timmer said the main focus is on handling “those who have experienced this,” according to NOS. “How do we ensure that we do what they desire well, that we guide them if necessary.”

Janke Dekker did not explain her decision to step down in her statement announcing her resignation from MORES, which she has led since 2018, NU.nl reports. She did go into the Volkskrant article accusing her husband of transgressive behavior. The article stated that Dekker did not want to respond. According to her, that is “incomplete and therefore not correct.”

Dekker said she tried to talk to the Volkskrant, and her lawyer made an appointment to do so. “The improper argument with which they canceled this appointment with my lawyer partly made me decide not to answer their questions that they sent by email on Friday.”

The Volkskrant told NU.nl that it “would have liked to talk to Mrs. Dekker before publication and has also made several proposals to that end,” but she refused them. “She also refused to answer our questions,” the newspaper said. “Richerd Korver, Janke Dekker’s lawyer, wanted an off-the-record conversation but, for unclear reasons, did not want to clarify whether he also represented Tom Egbers. Because of this lack of clarity, we decided against the conversation with Korver.”