New York attorney general launches probe of Weinstein Co.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York state's top prosecutor has launched a civil rights investigation into The Weinstein Co. following sexual assault allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the probe Monday. His office says it issued a subpoena seeking all company records.

The Democratic attorney general says his office wants to know whether any New York employees were subjected to pervasive harassment or discrimination at the company, which is based in New York City.

Weinstein was fired Oct. 8 by the company he co-founded after allegations of sexual assault and harassment spanning decades were exposed by The New York Times and The New Yorker.

More than three dozen women have publicly accused the entertainment mogul of abuse. Weinstein has denied allegations of nonconsensual sex.

Meanwhile, a black female activist has spoken out recently about the "Me Too" campaign, which has flooded social media in the wake of the Weinstein allegations.

Tarana Burke, 44, said she created the movement in 2007 to let young women of color who survive sexual assault know that they are not alone.

"It wasn't built to be a viral campaign or a hashtag that is here today and forgotten tomorrow," Burke told Ebony in an interview. "It was a catchphrase to be used from survivor to survivor to let folks know that they were not alone and that a movement for radical healing was happening and possible."

Actress Alyssa Milano turned the phrase into a viral hashtag this month, asking victims to share their stories with "#MeToo." Millions of women did so, and the outpouring of painful recollections on Twitter and Facebook shed new light on how pervasive the problem really is.