A Hydro One employee will lose his job after a television reporter was harassed on live television by Toronto FC fans that made sexist comments towards her.
“Hydro One is taking steps to terminate the employee for violating our Code of Conduct,” said a statement from Hydro One. “Respect for all people is engrained in the code and our values. We are committed to a work environment where discrimination or harassment of any type is met with zero tolerance.”
Hydro One statement regarding an employee at the TFC game. pic.twitter.com/qdJAZFgvMa
— Hydro One (@HydroOne) May 12, 2015
The firing stems from an incident on Sunday when CityNews in Toronto reporter Shauna Hunt was met with sexually explicit remarks from the employee and a few other men outside of a Toronto Football Club game.
Hunt was interviewing a group of fans when the comments were made. Instead of letting them pass by her, she confronted the men and asked why they would make the obscenities.
“It’s a disgusting thing to say,” said Hunt to one of the men. “It’s degrading to women…”
The men laughed off her questions about the degrading comments.
Hunt continued to ask one of the men what his mother would think, who replied she would have found it funny.
MLSE statement addressing company actions following Sunday’s incident: pic.twitter.com/1GUI1r4H7y
— MLSE PR (@MLSEPR) May 12, 2015
Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) have since commented on the situation, saying the employee and the other men involved face a ban of up to one year from all Toronto soccer club games but also the other teams owned by the company.
Besides Toronto FC, MLSE owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, and Toronto Marlies.
“We’re appalled that this trend of disrespectful behaviour would make its way to our city, let alone anywhere near our stadium” reads a statement from MLSE. “We are working to identify the individuals, and when we do they will be banned from all of our facilities.”
MLSE also plans on working with local television outlets to “provide extra security support to female reporters doing live hits” at any MLSE games.
The video was uploaded to YouTube on Sunday and has since gone viral with thousands of views and comments made.
