Longtime CBS head of human resources relations Ian Metrose, embroiled in a scandal surrounding former CBS executive Leslie Moonves, will leave at the end of the month after 20 years at the network.
Metrose is believed to have made the decision to leave at the end of his current contract. But there is no doubt that his departure was precipitated by the scandal that erupted in November surrounding Moonves and his ties to the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to an investigation by the New York attorney general, Metrose was involved in communications in 2017 with retired Los Angeles police captain Corey Palk, who is accused of telling Moonves that a sexual assault complaint had been filed against him by allegations in the 1980s. Palka developed a relationship with Moonves and several CBS executives, including Metrose, after being hired to provide security for Moonves at major events. The stick is under investigation by the LAPD.
“He has decided to leave CBS after his contract expires this month. We thank him for his 20 years of hosting network and studio events and wish him well in his next role,” CBS said in a statement.
Metrose was most recently senior vice president of talent relations and special events. He was part of a tight-knit core group of executives that helped revive the fortunes of CBS in the early 2000s.
Colleagues at CBS loved and respected Metroz. But the details of his involvement in the Polk situation, laid out in a sweeping report by the New York attorney general and in the newly published exposé book, Unscripted: The Epic Battle for the Redstone Family Media Empire and Legacy, made it unsuitable for Metrose. continue to fulfill their role for a long time.
(Cynthia Littleton contributed to this report.)