Q107 cuts ties with longtime Toronto radio personality after sexism allegations
Just over two months after a former coworker publicly accused Q107 host John Derringer of sexism in the workplace, the popular Toronto radio station and the tenured radio host have parted ways permanently.
Corus Entertainment-owned Q107 issued a statement on Tuesday saying that, of course, this move means the end of the host's eponymous Derringer In The Morning show, though "plans for the show will be forthcoming."
Derringer led the show for 22 years.
"The independent investigation initiated by Corus remains ongoing," the missive continues.
"Corus remains committed to having a full, fair investigation that enables all relevant concerns under Corus's code of conduct to be raised and treats all participants equally regardless of their current employment status with Corus."
How will you (Q107) compensate Jennifer, and the other victims? When will Q107 admit you let abuse continue for years? How will you motivate us (your ex-listeners) to want to tune in ever again? Will you have a woman headlining the morning show? @maureenholloway @JennValentyne
— jmcf (@jmcf1212) August 9, 2022
Those no longer employed at the company now include Derringer, but also former co-host Jennifer Valentyne, who came out with the allegations in May in a 13-minute-long video.
In the post, the Breakfast Television personality revealed that she had filed a gender discrimination complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission against a former employer.
Valentyne claimed that coworkers screamed at her, belittled her, called her names and brought her to tears, then laughed about it.
"Would you take a dream job working as a radio host if you knew you would be working with a co-host with accusations of prior abusive behaviour towards women?" she asked in the video.
"Would you complain about it if you knew that women before you were moved from that room, eliminated, because they spoke up? Would you complain knowing they would choose to support the man no matter what issues were brought forward, and it would put your job in jeopardy? Because history had proved that?"
Though she did not name names in the post, fellow former peers from Q107 shared the post in support and called the station and Derringer out directly, adding their own stories of him and his behaviour to the mix.
Doesn't sound like it was a 'good ride' for many of his co-workershttps://t.co/qrYbnKCVWt
— nicolas bello (@nbellotoronto) August 9, 2022
After filing a formal complaint about Derringer and other hosts' vaping in a confined space during her time at Q107, Valentyne was moved to a TV role (and took a paycut), then fired within a year.
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