Investigation clears TVO host Paikin of allegations of sexual harassment

TORONTO — An independent investigation has cleared a veteran journalist with Ontario’s public broadcaster of sexual harassment allegations, saying Steve Paikin was more credible than the Toronto woman who made the accusations against him.

In a report released Friday, investigator Rachel Turnpenney said while there is no doubt Sarah Thomson genuinely believes Paikin propositioned her, the evidence brought forward by Thomson and others does not support her account of what happened.

“The investigator had doubts surrounding Thomson’s ability to accurately observe and recount the events in question,” the report said.

“She tended to make leaps without sufficient evidence to do so, and she linked evidence tobook gether without factual foundation. Thomson’s evidence also veered towards being exaggerated and untrue.”

Paikin, meanwhile, “was consistent in his evidence that he believes nothing of a sexual nature was said (or implied),” the report said.

The investigation was commissioned by TVOntario in February after Thomson, a former Toronto mayoral candidate, made a series of allegations on her website Women’s Post.

She alleged Paikin, host of TVOntario’s flagship current events program “The Agenda,” made a sexual advance towards her over lunch in 2010 and that she “politely” declined the offer. She then suggested that she was barred from appearing on his show as a result of her refusal.

She further alleged that Paikin made a sexualized comment at a political event two years later.

Paikin, a native of Hamilton, addressed the issue in a Face- post a few days after the posts emerged, saying the allegations were “bogus” but that he had alerted his employer. He continued to host the show during the investigation.

He tweeted a brief response to the report Friday and declined to comment further. “While the last 11 weeks have been pretty difficult, I’m relieved to read this report. My deepest thanks to all who believed me,” he wrote.

Thomson did not immediately respond to a request for comment but posted emails and Facebook messages on her website that she said corroborated her account.

The messages, from Thomson’s then-assistant who she said was present at the 2010 lunch, were deemed problematic by the investigator, as was the rest of that witness’s evidence.

TVO’s chief executive, Lisa de Wilde, said in a statement that the broadcaster is proud of Paikin’s work and the investigation is now closed.