A Newfoundland politician is hoping to change provincial harassment laws following the acquittal of a man who hurled sexual obscenities at a female TV reporter in St. John’s.
Cathy Bennett says laws on workplace sexual harassment are badly outdated.
READ MORE: N.L. Judge rules shouting FHITP at a reporter was not a public disturbance
On Tuesday, provincial court Judge Colin Flynn dismissed a single charge against 28-year-old Justin Penton for causing a public disturbance.
Penton acknowledged he yelled a phrase commonly abbreviated to FHITP at NTV reporter Heather Gillis last April as she taped an interview outside the St. John’s dump.
The judge said the sexist slur – part of a crass phenomenon that has plagued journalists in the United States and Canada since it started as an online prank in 2014 – was vulgar and offensive, but not a crime under the circumstances.
WATCH: How FHRITP is harassment not just a vile prank
In a statement Wednesday, Bennett said she will introduce a private member’s bill in the House of Assembly to amend the Labour Standards Act, the Labour Relations Act, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
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