Bono Apologizes as Accusations of Abuse Hit Charity He Co-Founded
Ms. Smith said that the organization could not confirm the accusation of attempted sexual coercion
and retaliation, which the statement described as “appalling claims.” However, she added, “We do not discount any allegation — we investigate them and will continue to do so should others arise.”
The statement said the inquiry had concluded that “the situation was not adequately addressed nor resolved by executive management at the time.”
Ms. Smith, who joined the company in 2017, has apologized to all 14 employees who came forward with complaints, Mr. Koski said.
The chief executive of ONE, Gayle Smith, said in a statement that the inquiry showed there had been “an institutional failure.”
“The investigation yielded evidence of unprofessional conduct and, in particular, what I would characterize as bullying
and belittling of staff between late 2011 and 2015 in our Johannesburg office,” the statement said.
Bono apologized to the former employees of the charity, ONE, who have detailed on social media
and in a British newspaper what they said were demoralizing treatment by managers at their office in the South African capital from late 2011 to 2015.
By YONETTE JOSEPHMARCH 11, 2018
LONDON — U2’s frontman, Bono, said this weekend he was “furious” after a charity he co-founded was rocked by newly revived accusations
that it had fostered in its Johannesburg office an atmosphere of bullying, abuse and, in one case, an attempt at sexual coercion.
ONE, which Bono helped found in 2004, has nine million volunteers
and staff members around the world: in Abuja, Nigeria; Berlin; Brussels; Johannesburg; London; New York; Ottawa; Paris; and Washington, where the charity has its headquarters.
