[MortMan]

...but a locking device that trapped someone in the office would seem to be a clear violation of even a half-assed building code.

I'm quite certain that the building code violation was not even a consideration. The purpose of the device was to support predation - I have no doubt that it was against code never even entered their minds.

[Alberta's Child]

The point is that Matt Lauer didn’t install it himself. Someone else had to do that, and that contractor or building custodian would likely know about things like a building code that Lauer and his enablers didn’t care about.