The Star’s view: Damning report shows CBC management needs a shakeup,

It’s hard to overstate the understated reaction from CBC top brass in the face of a damning report on how the public broadcaster bungled workplace complaints involving Jian Ghomeshi, the fired Qradio show host.

CBC president Hubert Lacroix described the findings by lawyers Janice Rubin and Parisa Nikfarjam, released on Thursday, as “troubling and disappointing.” The CBC is “committed to creating a workplace where safety and respect for one another is a fundamental attribute and non-negotiable,” he insisted.

That bland, boilerplate response invites Canadians to wonder whether the CBC gets it, even now, after so much scandal and the severing of ties with top managers: executive director of Radio Chris Boyce and executive director of human resources Todd Spencer. Given the nasty secrets the report aired, Lacroix should be more than “disappointed” in his management team. How about ashamed and furious?

The CBC’s ugliest secret, until Ghomeshi blew himself out of the water, is that it tolerated, even condoned, a radio show host who abused his colleagues. The CBC’s failure to rein in Ghomeshi showed utter disregard for respect and safety in the workplace. And the abuse continued for years.

The report suggests that many, not just two, CBC managers knew about complaints of Ghomeshi’s alleged harassment of colleagues as early as 2012. “CBC management condoned this behaviour,” it concludes. Indeed “management’s failure to effectively deal with Mr. Ghomeshi’s behaviour gave him licence to continue.”

The report cited evidence that Ghomeshi was moody, yelled at colleagues, flirted with others, was harshly critical, shared “too much information” about his sex life, played “pranks and cruel jokes” and gave colleagues “creepy” back rubs and massages. While much of this was sheer disrespect, some of it involved sexual harassment, the report found. But his status as a star shielded him.

The report faults CBC for failing to properly respond on “at least” three occasions to “allegations and concerns regarding problematic behaviour.” “While Mr. Ghomeshi’s star was allowed to rise, his problematic behaviour was left unchecked.”

The Canadian Media Guild, a CBC union, also shared some blame for failing to report to management an allegation of sexual harassment made by a former Qemployee.

As a result, a cycle of sickness in the workplace was allowed to continue until last October, when Ghomeshi was fired — not for abusing colleagues, but because of “graphic evidence” that he engaged in activities that caused “physical injury” to a woman outside of the workplace. Ghomeshi now faces seven counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking after women came forward to complain. He has said he will plead not guilty.

As this grim report shows, the CBC needs to clean up its act. The report makes sensible suggestions including the naming of a workplace ombudsman, a confidential hotline to report abuse, better staff training and workplace surveys and spot audits. It’s all good.

But attitudes clearly need adjusting. The CBC should start there.