This just happened earlier today and several students have already passed it along (thanks!). What appeared to be a case of wrongful dismissal based on private sexual practices has blown up into much more.
Jian Ghomeshi, the host and co-creator of arguably Canada's most successful radio show, Q, was let go today by the CBC. He took to Facebook to explain why. From his Facebook page:
Dear everyone,
I am writing today because I want you to be the first to know some news.
This has been the hardest time of my life. I am reeling from the loss of my father. I am in deep personal pain and worried about my mom. And now my world has been rocked by so much more.
Today, I was fired from the CBC.
For almost 8 years I have been the host of a show I co-created on CBC called Q. It has been my pride and joy. My fantastic team on Q are super-talented and have helped build something beautiful.
I have always operated on the principle of doing my best to maintain a dignity and a commitment to openness and truth, both on and off the air. I have conducted major interviews, supported Canadian talent, and spoken out loudly in my audio essays about ideas, issues, and my love for this country. All of that is available for anyone to hear or watch. I have known, of course, that not everyone always agrees with my opinions or my style, but I've never been anything but honest. I have doggedly defended the CBC and embraced public broadcasting. This is a brand I’ve been honoured to help grow.
All this has now changed.
Today I was fired from the company where I've been working for almost 14 years – stripped from my show, barred from the building and separated from my colleagues. I was given the choice to walk away quietly and to publicly suggest that this was my decision. But I am not going to do that. Because that would be untrue. Because I’ve been fired. And because I've done nothing wrong.
I’ve been fired from the CBC because of the risk of my private sex life being made public as a result of a campaign of false allegations pursued by a jilted ex girlfriend and a freelance writer.
As friends and family of mine, you are owed the truth.
I have commenced legal proceedings against the CBC, what’s important to me is that you know what happened and why.
Forgive me if what follows may be shocking to some.
I have always been interested in a variety of activities in the bedroom but I only participate in sexual practices that are mutually agreed upon, consensual, and exciting for both partners.
He describes his preference for BDSM and rough sex, and a story of a past jealous lover who sought to take revenge against him in collusion with a journalist who Mr. Ghomeshi claims has been trying to ruin his career. His account is very compelling and it's hard not to feel like Mr. Ghomeshi has been horrifically wronged, simply because he's into BDSM.
Being curious to see the public's response, I headed over to Reddit and sure enough there is a very active thread (link here) about Mr. Ghomeshi's Facebook post. Many people are sympathizing with Mr. Ghomeshi but many others are questioning the veracity of what he claimed, noting that Mr. Ghomeshi has a reputation for being a "creep", "douche", and that many women have complained about his lack of respect for boundaries and worse. Someone also noted that Mr. Ghomeshi has hired Navigator, a PR firm in Toronto that is famous for managing crises like the one Mr. Ghomeshi is facing, and that the Facebook post has all the hallmarks of a very well crafted PR piece (e.g, mentioning dad's death to garner sympathy, use of words like "freelance" to discredit the reporter, inclusion of reference to being a "soldier" to associate Mr Ghomeshi with the soldier "hero" who was shot this week, etc.).
Then the Toronto Star published a piece tonight, describing the stories of several women who approached the paper earlier this year with their complaints about Mr. Ghomeshi's behaviour. This is the paper that Mr. Ghomeshi refers to in his Facebook post. These women's accounts seem to contradict the claims that Mr. Ghomeshi makes. Go read them here. The editor of the paper also wrote a brief piece explaining that the paper didn't originally write the piece (because the sources wished to remain anonymous, and therefore couldn't be verified), but given the events that transpired today, the paper reversed its decision and published the piece. Read the editorial piece here.
You can also read more about the entire story at Gawker.
So, is this a case of Mr. Ghomeshi, one of Canada's current stars, being wrongfully dismissed simply because of his atypical sexual preferences (i.e., BDSM)? Or is this a story an entitled celebrity whose supposed history of predatory and abusive sexual behaviour has finally caught up with him? If it's the first, then it would be an epic example of discrimination based on sexual preference. If it's the second, it would be an repulsive example of hiding inexcusable and abusive behaviour behind the cloak of sexual freedom.
Monday morning edit: a great piece of commentary from someone in the BDSM community, link here. Recommended reading, including the comments section. Lots of good debate.