Business radio station BFM, widely known as a liberal outlet, announced late yesterday that internal investigations into very serious accusations of sexual misconduct by several staff members had concluded, and two employees have since been served with letters of termination.
Neither (now former) employee was named.
Station founder Malek Ali clarified that the decision was reached after the company’s board reviewed evidence into the accusations, and added that BFM “could have done more to proactively gather evidence … in a more timely manner.”
https://www.facebook.com/BFMradio/photos/a.10151803247317042/10157169568662042/?type=3&theater
An inquiry was carried out by team of independent lawyers.
Sordid details BFM’s insufficient channels to report sexual harassment were an overriding theme in a widely shared anonymous email that made its way across media circles in December 2018. Claiming to be an employee, the individual who penned the email alleged that claims were not taken seriously, and that certain individuals were “protected.”
It seems that Malek is now conceding that not enough was done, and to the outside observer, it certainly seems that it took a PR nightmare for the station to take action.
Aren’t you being a little facetious, Coconuts KL?
Ahem: “Predatory culture is widespread in the station,” stated the letter, adding that a popular figure at the station was not only known for sending unsolicited after-work messages to other female employees, but that the person also messaged the letter writer and “repeatedly texted me about my dressing, once saying that I looked “fuckable.”
Another station figure was labeled as a “known sexual harasser,” who allegedly stalked two women.
Most troubling, the email detailed the rape of a woman at an office party by another employee, concluding that “the station didn’t do anything to protect this woman, and simply fired the man.”
Confirming this in his most recent statement, Malek added that the man was indeed let go the same year that the alleged incident took place, and that the victim chose not to take the matter further with police.
Learning from the incident, BFM has said that they will be restructuring their internal grievance channels within the next four weeks, and holding more employee awareness talks on acceptable workplace behavior.
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