Two more managers at Nine have been accused of sexual harassment and bullying by a former female staff member.
As reported by The Australian, the claims came through the network’s current independent review into workplace culture, in which the men were accused of “predatory behaviour” at end-of-year celebrations at Nine’s then-head office in Willoughby.
The alleged incidents resulted in the female staff member leaving the media giant in 2022, and the woman reportedly receiving a five-figure payout.
The complaint was reportedly made via phone and Nine has offered the woman support, with Nine saying in a written message that the “allegations would be taken seriously”.
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It’s understood that a number of mistreatment complaints have been put through the internal review.
The claims come as famous Nine personality, Kerri-Anne Kennerly, took aim at the network regarding the controversy in the last few months, including allegations made against former news boss, Darren Wick, and chair Peter Costello stepping down.
“History has just repeated itself,” Kennerley said.
“I experienced the Nine culture, professionally and personally, over decades, and it is learned behaviour. Bad behaviour and bad management skills, or lack of them, was wrong, it always was wrong, but the perpetrators got away with it because they learned from senior management.
“It was entrenched by senior people (who had gone) before them.”
Kennerly, who was one of Nine’s biggest on-air personalities and inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame in 2017, accused management of “bullying, foul language, intimidation and extreme behaviour”.
“The management style was to pit people and shows against each other, in the assumption that would get the best out of them,” she said.
As well as a dedicated hotline, Nine will conduct an organisation-wide survey and staff will undergo sexual harassment prevention training.
External consultant Intersection is expected to reveal its findings from its own review by the end of July.
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