CBC says conclusions from Ghomeshi report “troubling and disappointing”
The CBC says it will be working with the Canadian Media Guild to review the nine recommendations outlined in the report.
By The Canadian Press
The CBC says the conclusions from a report into the handling of the Jian Ghomeshi scandal are “troubling and disappointing.”
A letter to employees signed by upper management says that outside investigator Janice Rubin spoke with 99 people over the last five months to prepare the report.
The CBC says it will be working with the Canadian Media Guild to review the nine recommendations outlined in the report.
The letter says the CBC will “implement as many of those as we can, as quickly as possible.” The letter also included an apology to employees “who experienced inappropriate behaviour” in the workplace, saying “it has no place at CBC/Radio-Canada.”
The public broadcaster also says it is “severing ties” with two top executives, Chris Boyce, executive director of CBC Radio, and Todd Spencer, the head of human resources and industrial relations for English services.
The CBC fired Ghomeshi, the host of its daily radio arts and culture show “Q,” in October after seeing what it called “graphic evidence” that he had caused physical injury to a woman.
Boyce and Spencer conducted interviews with “Q” employees last summer as part of an internal investigation.
The two were put on indefinite leave in January.
Rubin was tasked with reporting to senior CBC management about what she uncovered, as well as coming up with recommendations on resolving any complaints.
She was also asked to suggest ways the broadcaster can prevent similar issues in the future.
Ghomeshi faces seven counts of sexual assault and one of overcoming resistance by choking, but his lawyer has said he will plead not guilty to all charges.
One of the complainants is a former CBC employee.
Ghomeshi is free on $100,000 bail with numerous conditions and is due to return to court on April 28.
This article was published by the Canadian Press and reprinted here with permission.
