Toronto engineer sacked over lewd comment at TV reporter
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 13 May, 2015, 11:26pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 13 May, 2015, 11:26pm
Associated Press in Toronto
Shawn Simoes (right) disrupts Shauna Hunt's interview.
A Toronto engineer lost his job after a social media firestorm was created by a female TV reporter who fought back against offensive and vulgar comments that disrupted her live interview.
Ontario's largest electricity provider, Hydro One, issued a statement saying it had fired one of its employees in connection with the lewd disruption on Sunday at a Toronto FC game.
In the video, CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt is shown confronting and questioning the men who shouted a crude sexual remark - which had been popularised by an internet meme - into the television broadcaster's microphone
A Hydro One official identified the employee as Shawn Simoes. He is shown in the video using an expletive and calling his friend's remark hilarious before telling the reporter she is lucky they didn't have a vibrator.
Hunt said she had often been the victim of the same remark while doing live television interviews. "I hit my limit and I had to push back," she said on Tuesday. "I wasn't going to stand for it anymore. It was time to say something."
The men also face a one year-ban from all games of the soccer club and other teams owned by Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, which include the NHL Maple Leafs and NBA Toronto Raptors.
"We're appalled that this trend of disrespectful behaviour would make its way to our city, let alone anywhere near our stadium," MLSE said in a statement.
"We are working to identify the individuals, and when we do they will be banned from all of our facilities."
MLSE said it would also provide extra security support to female reporters doing live interviews at future games. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne weighed in on Twitter, thanking CityNews for airing the disruption.
"Whether or not it's caught on film, sexual harassment at work is no joke," Wynne tweeted.
Former Florida State quarterback and top NFL draft pick Jameis Winston was benched for a game last year after he had been caught on camera shouting the same comment about female anatomy.
