The president of Mohawk College says he has personally apologized to a female TV reporter who faced misogynistic heckling from students while trying to do her job.
In a message posted to social media on Thursday, president Ron McKerlie said the school’s security team is investigating two incidents that occurred at the school’s Fennell campus earlier this week.
The journalist, who was at Mohawk to cover the end of the Ontario college strike along with a camera person, is a news reporter for CHCH, the station said.
LISTEN: CHCH reporter Britt Dixon joins the Scott Thompson Show
Reporter Britt Dixon described the incidents in a series of tweets, saying a male student yelled an infamous lewd phrase (“F–k her right in the p–y”) while she was conducting an interview. She said she heard “FHRITP” again just before she was to go live on air.
FHRITP, as the phenomenon is known, is a sexist slur commonly hurled at TV reporters in recent years. There have been several high-profile instances, including one outside a 2015 Toronto FC game that led to the temporary dismissal of a Hydro One employee.
In that case, the man didn’t utter the phrase at the reporter, but had defended it on camera.
McKerlie had strong words for the perpetrators, saying they could face discipline including expulsion from the college.
“The overwhelming majority of Mohawk students can be counted on to treat others with respect and common decency,” he stated. “But if you somehow believe it is acceptable or humorous to demean and sexually harass women then you are not welcome at Mohawk.”
He’s asking anyone with information to contact school security.