Back when I first posted about David Letterman’s TV confession, I wrote that he didn’t seem like a sexual harasser, but that you couldn’t rule out the possibility that his workplace affairs had created a hostile professional environment for women.

Now a former Letterman writer, Nell Scovell—a 1982 Harvard grad— has written on Vanity Fair online that she did think such an atmosphere existed, and that she left the show because of a climate of sexual favoritism.

At this moment, there are more females serving on the United States Supreme Court than there are writing for Late Show with David Letterman, The Jay Leno Show, and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien combined. Out of the 50 or so comedy writers working on these programs, exactly zero are women. It would be funny if it weren’t true.

… Without naming names or digging up decades-old dirt, let’s address the pertinent questions. Did Dave hit on me? No. Did he pay me enough extra attention that it was noted by another writer? Yes. Was I aware of rumors that Dave was having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Was I aware that other high-level male employees were having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Did these female staffers have access to information and wield power disproportionate to their job titles? Yes. Did that create a hostile work environment? Yes. Did I believe these female staffers were benefiting professionally from their personal relationships? Yes. Did that make me feel demeaned? Completely. Did I say anything at the time? Sadly, no.

Here’s what I did: I walked away from my dream job.

She sounds credible. Which makes me think that maybe Letterman isn’t such a hero after all, just brilliant and funny and flawed in a particularly unfortunate way.