On Thursday the CBC released a 52-page report into its handling of the Jian Ghomeshi scandal. Below are excerpts from the report. Ghomeshi's lawyers did not return a call from The Canadian Press seeking comment on the allegations in the report.
"While some witnesses reported having no difficulty working with Mr. Ghomeshi, the majority of the witnesses who worked with him over the course of his career at the CBC described a pattern of behaviour and conduct that fell well below the behavioural standard."
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"There may have been aspects of Mr. Ghomeshi's behaviour that alone, would have been merely inconvenient or inconsiderate and not contravened the behavioural standard. Similarly, there may have been aspects of his behaviour that if only occasionally exhibited would not have fallen below what is acceptable. However, the aggregate effect of various behaviours and conduct, both in terms of volume, impact, and persistence as described in this report, meant that his behaviour fell well below the behavioural standard."
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"The evidence suggests that many of those who worked with Mr. Ghomeshi expended a great deal of energy dealing with this behaviour and conduct and that it was deeply distressing to them and impactful on them. To be clear, it is our opinion that Mr. Ghomeshi's conduct such as yelling, belittling and humiliating those with whom he worked fell well below the acceptable standard."
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"Mr. Ghomeshi made comments about the appearance of some colleagues. These comments were described as demeaning, inappropriate and unwanted."
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"Mr. Ghomeshi gave a number of colleagues back and shoulder massages. Most of the witnesses did not find these massages sexual (although several did), but instead described them as 'creepy' and disrespectful of their personal boundaries."
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"Less prevalent, but still present in a small number of cases, was behaviour on the part of Mr. Ghomeshi that was sexual harassment. This behaviour consisted of sexualized conduct and comment, including physical contact that was known or ought to have been known to be unwelcome and inappropriate. This behaviour was 'objectionable and offensive' and was 'likely to cause offence or humiliation to an employee.'"
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"We found one additional occasion where Mr. Ghomeshi subjected a female employee to unwanted physical contact that was sexual in nature."
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"Mr. Ghomeshi shared details about his own sex life. There were incidents where Mr. Ghomeshi shared information that witnesses found too personal, too graphic and generally unsavoury. We found evidence that this was not only directed at women, but at a certain number of men, who were also the inadvertent recipients of 'too much information' from Mr. Ghomeshi about his personal life and sexual activities."
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"There was also evidence of at least one personal relationship Mr. Ghomeshi had with a co-worker, which those who had knowledge of it assumed was intimate in nature. This co-worker worked in a junior position and was not a permanent employee.... These witnesses believed the relationship was to be consensual. We did not have the benefit of information from the co-worker as she declined our request to be interviewed."
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"Mr. Ghomeshi became a star of the CBC. This is a fact with which many witnesses, including those directly responsible for him, agree. We do not wish to overstate the powerlessness of those who worked with him. Based on our interviews with them, they appear to be highly professional, creative, and productive people. However, relative to Mr. Ghomeshi, they were vulnerable. We asked witnesses whether they ever considered making a formal complaint against Mr. Ghomeshi. They told us that they were reluctant to do so for a number of reasons, including a lack of trust and confidence in the complaint process, the sense that the workplace was a 'sealed unit' and that it was expected that they deal with their concerns regarding Mr. Ghomeshi internally."
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"We noted the presence of many younger employees who were new to the world of work, who were not permanent employees and who were concerned with establishing a career. They were particularly vulnerable which made them unwilling to complain or 'rock the boat.'"
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"In some cases, managers with whom Mr. Ghomeshi was directly involved had an inclination that something was wrong, and failed to inquire further or failed to take adequate steps to stop the behaviour. In other cases, despite actual knowledge of concerns expressed by employees, Mr. Ghomeshi's behaviour was often left unexamined, characterized as 'difficult' or was accepted as the norm of how hosts were expected to behave. The evidence shows that while Mr. Ghomeshi's star was allowed to rise, his problematic behaviour was left unchecked."
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"To be clear, we did not find evidence that managers were aware of information relating to sexual harassment, or any complaints or allegations in that regard."
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"We saw no compelling evidence that Mr. Ghomeshi was ever told his behaviour would have to improve, or he would have to refrain from certain types of behaviour, or else face disciplinary action including termination. As a result, it is our view that management did not enforce the behavioural standard and failed to hold Mr. Ghomeshi accountable."
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"In reviewing the CBC's oversight of Mr. Ghomeshi, we have identified at least three separate and distinct missed opportunities to fully investigate Mr. Ghomeshi's behaviour. In each of these cases, even in the absence of a formal complaint, CBC managers were clearly put on notice that there were allegations that Mr. Ghomeshi's behaviour was contrary to the behavioural standard."
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