Trial of Jian Ghomeshi

In late 2014, Canadian radio host Jian Ghomeshi was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual assault, and one count of overcoming resistance by choking, in relation to three complainants. He was charged with three additional counts related to three more women on January 8, 2015. On October 1, 2015, Ghomeshi pleaded not guilty to one count of choking and four counts of sexual assault. The trial began on February 1, 2016. He was acquitted of all five charges on March 24, 2016.

Background

Early allegations

Ghomeshi was the host and co-creator of the CBC Radio One show '' Q''. He hosted the show from 2007 to 2014, until fired by the CBC. In 2010, the producer of ''Q'', Kathryn Borel, reporting that Ghomeshi had repeatedly sexually harassed her starting in 2007. She also reported that there was "...emotional abuse, too: gaslighting and psychological games that undermined erintelligence, security and sense of self. Sometimes that hit harder than the physical trespassing." Borel declined to start a union arbitration or formal grievance but met with the executive producer of the show informally. Borel says that her union representative and the producer "did nothing." When Borel's allegations became public in 2014, CMG national president Carmel Smyth described Borel's experience as unacceptable and stated that sexual harassment is now a priority for the union.

In 2012, journalism students at the University of Western Ontario were advised not to pursue internships at ''Q'' due to Ghomeshi's rumoured inappropriate behaviour toward young women.

In 2013, journalist Carla Ciccone published an account of her date with a Canadian radio host to XoJane titled "I Accidentally Went on a Date With a Presumed-Gay Canadian C-List Celebrity Who Creepily Proved He Isn't Gay." Ciccone refers to the personality under a pseudonym but ''Toronto Life'' identified the individual as Ghomeshi. The article claims the radio host as making unwanted physical advances. Ghomeshi did not deny going on a date with Ciccone and claimed not to have read the article, but stated that much of it was untrue from what he had heard.

In 2014, a Twitter account named for Ghomeshi's teddy bear, Big Ears Teddy, made accusations of abuse against him; these accusations included an April 9, 2014, tweet signed "every female Carleton U media grad."

Dismissal from the CBC

In the spring of 2014, Ghomeshi advised his employers at the CBC that the ''Toronto Star'' was looking into allegations by an ex-girlfriend that he had engaged in rape and that he denied this accusation. The crisis management firm Navigator was hired to work for both Ghomeshi and the CBC.

In early summer of 2014, reporter Jesse Brown contacted the CBC and warned that Ghomeshi's behaviour might have crossed into his work environment. The CBC investigated and concluded that there were no workplace complaints against Ghomeshi. According to an investigation by the CBC's '' The Fifth Estate'', "almost all known staffers on... Q said they were not contacted by CBC management as part of any investigation." Ghomeshi denied the accusations again and the ''Toronto Star'' declined to go forward with the story at that time.

In October 2014, Brown tweeted that he was working on a story that would be "worse than embarrassing for certain parties". Brown later said that he was referring to another story but Ghomeshi requested a meeting with CBC on October 23. During that meeting, the CBC viewed what it later described as "graphic evidence that Jian had caused physical injury to a woman". According to ''Vice'', Ghomeshi showed his bosses lewd text messages on a CBC-owned phone and graphic personal sex videos.

On October 24, Ghomeshi announced he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the network to deal with personal matters. Two days later, the CBC terminated Ghomeshi's employment, with a CBC spokesperson saying "information came to our attention recently that in CBC's judgment precludes us from continuing our relationship with Jian." Ghomeshi subsequently released a "lengthy Facebook post" saying his dismissal was motivated by fear of an alleged smear campaign by an ex-girlfriend that according to Ghomeshi could release private details about his sexual life. Ghomeshi also said he refused an offer by the CBC to "walk away quietly." Chris Boyce, the head of CBC Radio, denied that such an offer was made.

Ghomeshi filed a $55 million lawsuit against the CBC, alleging that the broadcaster misused "personal and confidential information provided to it in confidence". He also filed "a union grievance alleging wrongful dismissal and defamation," and stated through his lawyer that he "does not engage in non-consensual role play or sex and any suggestion of the contrary is defamatory." Ghomeshi withdrew his lawsuit on November 25, 2014. The terms of settlement stipulated that Ghomeshi will pay the CBC $18,000 in legal costs.

Following his firing, the ''Toronto Star'' published allegations by three women who said that they experienced violence from Ghomeshi without consent, along with allegations by a former CBC colleague, who later revealed her identity as Kathryn Borel

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