Anita Hill Chairs Hollywood Anti-Sexual Harassment Commission Formed by Top Execs

Spurred by the multitude of sexual abuse scandals, top Hollywood executives have tapped Anita Hill to chair the newly formed Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace.

The commission made the announcement Friday following a meeting convened by Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, Nike Foundation founder and co-chair Maria Eitel, Nina Shaw, and venture captialist Freada Kapor Klein.

“The Commission will not seek just one solution, but a comprehensive strategy to address the complex and inter-related causes of the problems of parity and power,” said Kennedy. “The fact that so many industry leaders—across film, television, music, digital, unions, agencies, ATA, AMPAS, television academy and guilds—came together, in one room, to explore solutions speaks to a new era.”

Hill went public in 1991 with allegations of sexual harassment during the Senate confirmation process for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Since then, in addition to teaching law and policy at Brandeis University, Hill has been active in discussions on the legal and cultural developments around harassment as well as gender and racial equality.

She has chaired the Human Rights Committee of the International Bar Association and is a member of the Boards of Directors of the National Women’s Law Center and the Boston Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.

“I’m proud to be leading this newly-formed Commission on a long overdue journey to adopt best practices and to create institutional change that fosters a culture of respect and human dignity throughout the industry,” Hill said.

“We will be focusing on issues ranging from power disparity, equity and fairness, safety, sexual harassment guidelines, education and training, reporting and enforcement, ongoing research, and data collection,” she added. “It is time to end the culture of silence. I’ve been at this work for 26 years. This moment presents us with an unprecedented opportunity to make real change.”

The meeting took place 10 weeks after Hollywood was shaken to its core by bombshell allegations of sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein, followed by an array of accusations against Matt Lauer, Louis C.K., Russell Simmons, Brett Ratner, Kevin Spacey, Garrison Keilor and Al Franken.

The commission said Friday that it will reconvene early next year to define its mission, scope and priorities.

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