[UPDATE: An earlier version of this post was incorrectly attributed to a different author. It has since been corrected.]
Wesley Lowery, one of America's most prominent journalists, faces multiple allegations of sexual misconduct spanning from 2018 to 2024, with four women describing a pattern of plying them with alcohol before sexually assaulting them.
The Columbia Journalism Review reports that Lowery, a Pulitzer Prize winner known for his groundbreaking coverage of racial justice issues, allegedly used his professional stature to pressure young female journalists into sexual encounters. Four women described similar experiences where Lowery ordered them drinks before encounters they say were non-consensual. Wall Street Journal reporter Imani Moise recalled waking up after a "full-blown assault" following drinks with Lowery in 2018. "I was way too drunk to give consent," she said. Three other journalists detailed comparable incidents through 2024.
The revelations led to Lowery's departure from multiple prestigious positions, including his role as associate professor at American University and executive editor of the Investigative Reporting Workshop. The university's Title IX office received several reports about his conduct with students and fellows, though most were deemed outside their jurisdiction.
In response to the allegations, Lowery provided a statement to CJR acknowledging power imbalances but disputing some characterizations: "As a young professional, I did not always recognize the power imbalances that surfaced as personal relationships evolved into professional ones, and vice versa. I should have better upheld boundaries that would have protected myself and others, particularly during interactions impaired by mutual intoxication."
"I revered him," Moise told CJR. "Maybe this experience isn't worth tearing down this public figure." But she later changed her perspective: "Protecting the Black community can mean protecting Black men—I am done with that."
Previously:
• Whole new vibe at today's Ferguson protest. And by vibe we mean less tanks, guns, tear gas.
• Name of Ferguson police officer who shot Mike Brown revealed
• 'Classic intimidation'—Black Lives Matter activists targeted by FBI ahead of RNC
• Ferguson: Militarized police use force against protesters, arrest journalists
• Documenting the arrests of journalists in Ferguson
