Motion Picture Academy President John Bailey Under Investigation For Sexual Harassment

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is reportedly under investigation for allegations of sexual harassment.

According to Variety, AMPAS received three harassment claims Wednesday involving president John Bailey and immediately opened a probe.

The Academy - which is also the organization behind the Oscars - issued the following statement: "The Academy treats any complaints confidentially to protect all parties. The Membership Committee reviews all complaints brought against Academy members according to our Standards of Conduct process, and after completing reviews, reports to the Board of
Governors. We will not comment further on such matters until the full review is completed."

Bailey, 75, is a cinematographer and occasional director and was elected president of the organization in August.

No details about the allegations have been released.

In December, the Academy established a code of conduct - approved by the 54-member board of governors that includes luminaries such as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Whoopi Goldberg - that allowed for members to be disciplined or expelled for abuse, harassment or discrimination.

A claims process was also set up which set forth how such allegations would be adjudicated.

The anti-harassment "#MeToo" movement featured prominently at this year's Academy Awards, where Ashley Judd, Salma Hayek and Annabella Sciorra took the stage to voice their support for the movement.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)