Perhaps best known for 'Catholicism' - a slickly produced 10-part docuseries that ran on some PBS channels in 2011 - Word on Fire's once pristine image and that of its high-profile founder have taken hits in recent weeks amid its handling of sexual misconduct allegations against one of its former employees, Joseph Gloor. The former employee, one of several who asked not to be named for fear of being blacklisted in the Catholic media industry, told NCR that issues pertaining to morality and safety influenced their decision to leave. 'To put it bluntly, I do not feel that if I had been one of the victims, I would have been protected in any way,' said a former staff member, who left Word on Fire after working there for about a year.
Those who remain at the Illinois-based multimedia nonprofit are working in an environment that a few recently departed workers described to NCR as beset by low morale, damaged trust and a 'boys' club' culture that made some female employees uncomfortable and others unwilling to raise concerns to leadership. Frustrated by poor communication and a workplace culture they say has been warped by secrecy and hypermasculinity, at least a half-dozen Word on Fire employees in recent months have resigned from the Catholic outlet founded by Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron.
