CTV Toronto confirmed Tuesday that Queen’s Park reporter Paul Bliss was “no longer with” Bell Media weeks after a former employee came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.
Bliss was suspended by the company in January, pending the results of an investigation, after Bridget Brown, a former CTV journalist, wrote a blog post about an “award-winning CTV reporter and anchor” who kissed her without consent and attempted to initiate “oral sex.”
Brown didn’t name names in the blog, but confirmed the allegations in the post to Global News at the time.
CTV hasn’t revealed the results of the investigation.
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In a statement published on Medium.com, Brown addressed the decision and said she was not aware of it before it went public. She also lashed out at the company for releasing the names involved in the dispute.
“I was not prepared for CTV public relations to publically name my harasser before even commencing its investigation, and name me as the instigating source for the investigation. Since when do corporations speak to the media about internal HR issues?” she wrote.
She said that the backlash she received because she was named could deter other victims to come forward.
“I can see CTV’s lack of discretion having a chilling effect on people being willing to report harassment. Given the additional harassment I experienced online after CTV named my harasser and me, why on earth would anyone want to come forward in the future?”
Brown said she came forward after CTV published allegations against former Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown.
WATCH: Timeline: A look back on Patrick Brown’s resignation, PC leadership
In an interview with Global News at the time, Brown said she was encouraged to come forward following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct in the U.S. media industry.
“I knew for a fact that sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace were happening here in Canada,” she told Global News.
“I wanted to speak out because I hoped it would encourage other women who have experienced something like this also be able to share their truth,” said Brown. “Hopefully, if nothing else, perpetrators get the message that if they’re behaving inappropriately in the workplace, people are going to find out and there are going to be consequences.”
WATCH: WARNING, This video contains sexually explicit language, discretion is advised. Bridget Brown speaks to Global News
*with a file from Andrew Russell
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