As It HappensThe alleged assault took place in 1975 when then-publisher, H. Brandt Ayers, spanked Veronica Pike Kennedy in the newsroom with a metal ruler.CBC Radio · Posted: Jan 04, 2018 3:46 PM EST | Last Updated: January 5, 2018In 1975, Veronica Pike Kennedy was a young reporter atthe Anniston Starnewsaper in Alabama when her then-publisher publicly spanked her in the newsroom.The allegations, along with those of another reporter, were published Tuesday in The Anniston Star. It's alleged that Ayers — known informally as "Brandy' — assaulted multiple women by spanking them during his time as publisher of the paper.Ayers, now 82, waschairman of Consolidated Publishing whichowns the Anniston Star. On Thursday he resigned.In an earlierstatement to the paper he admitted to the spankings, andblamed the assaults on youthful mistakes. Ayers would have been around 40 years old at the time. AS IT HAPPENS | How a 'wall of silence' kept Weinsteinallegations under wraps Women identify as assault...
