Michael Oreskes resigns as NPR chief editor after sexual harassment allegations

NEW YORK -- Michael Oreskes has resigned as chief of NPR's newsroom following accusations of sexual harassment that dated back to the 1990s. 

Oreskes said in a statement Wednesday that he was deeply sorry to the people he hurt. He said: "my behavior was wrong and inexcusable, and I accept full responsibility."

He said he told Jarl Mohn, president and CEO of NPR, on Wednesday morning that he would step down.

On Tuesday, Oreskes had been placed on leave after a publication reported he abruptly kissed two women who were seeking jobs while he was Washington bureau chief at The New York Times in the 1990s. The women formally complained to NPR and told their stories to The Washington Post, speaking on condition of anonymity. 

Mohn subsequently appointed Chris Turpin as the temporary news chief.

Oreskes was a vice president and senior managing editor at The Associated Press from 2008 until he joined NPR in 2015.