Former CBC Host Files Human Rights Complaint Against Network Alleging Bullying

Former CBC anchor Travis Dhanraj filed a human rights complaint against the public broadcaster on Sept. 10, alleging racial discrimination, editorial bullying, and retaliation in the workplace for speaking out.

Dhanraj alleges in his complaint that he suffered ongoing harassment, was blocked from bringing on diverse voices in his role as host, and was bullied after not acting as a progressive minority “token” in the way he said CBC leadership expected. A copy of the complaint was provided to the Epoch Times on Sept. 12 by Dhanraj’s lawyer Kathryn Marshall.

The complaint says that due to “discriminatory harassment, bullying and discrimination, and its condonation of the discrimination and abusive culture that Mr. Dhanraj was experiencing in the workplace, he had no choice but to involuntarily resign.”

Dhanraj, 43, sent a resignation letter to leadership and an email to colleagues on July 7, saying he’d been “silenced” and driven out of the network after trying to book conservative voices and inviting former CBC President Catherine Tait on his show last April to discuss executive bonuses being handed out when hundreds of employees had been laid off from the network in December 2023.

The incident led to an internal investigation and Dhanraj being temporarily removed from the air. He was also required to attend disciplinary meetings and was issued a written warning.

His complaint says there was “pressure” for him to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that would allow him to return to air last July in return for accepting a demoted position and agreeing not to pursue a human rights complaint in the future.

The stress of his unresolved situation caused Dhanraj to go on medical leave last July, the complaint says. He returned in December, but took a second medical leave that same month, saying he was disparaged and his medical leave was discussed publicly within the newsroom.

CBC Responds

CBC said it has not yet received independent confirmation from the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) regarding a complaint filed against them by Dhanraj, although it has been notified by Marshall.

“At this time, we can only reiterate in the strongest terms possible that CBC rejects his [Dhanraj’s] version of events. We are dismayed by these attacks on our hosts and newsroom leaders,” CBC spokesperson Kerry Kelly wrote in a Sept. 12 email to the Epoch Times. 

“We will vigorously defend against false claims, including allegations of political bias in guest selection,” Kelly added.

In past statements to the Epoch Times, CBC had said it “categorically denies” all accusations being made by Dhanraj, adding that disciplinary meetings held in April of last year were about avoiding a conflict of interest in his intention to discuss CBC internal matters while being an employee of CBC. 

A hearing where Dhanraj was disciplined, which was leaked to the media, was the result of Dhanraj not abiding by the network’s rules, according to a July 21 statement to the Epoch Times by CBC spokesperson Chuck Thompson.

“There was a particular emphasis on CBC News policies about conflicts of interest, violations of journalistic standards and protocols on how we report on ourselves,” Thompson said. “Mr. Dhanraj violated these policies and was asked about them by his manager with his union representative present. He also secretly recorded the meeting after agreeing not to.”

Allegations of Bullying

Dhanraj’s seven-page complaint to the CHRC notes that he is a second-generation Canadian of Caribbean heritage who has worked for more than two decades in Canadian media, and most recently hosted CBC political talk show “Canada Tonight,” which went on the air in January 2024 and was discontinued in February of this year.

“Throughout his employment, Mr. Dhanraj attempted to push for diversity (particularly related to political voices on the show) and racial equality. However, Mr. Dhanraj was consistently met with resistance at every point, and a toxic work environment in which harassment, bullying, and retaliation went unchecked—leading to his constructive dismissal,” the complaint reads.

The complaint also alleges the CBC prioritized white, progressive voices rather than permitting Dhanraj to bring on diverse voices from a variety of cultural, ethnic, and political backgrounds.

“The CBC constantly gave leading speakers and guests to shows on CBC News Network that had liberal, white hosts namely David Cochrane (“Mr. Cochrane”) and Rosemary Barton (“Ms. Barton”),” the complaint says. “These hosts received resources and opportunities that Mr. Dhanraj, the only brown prime time host on CBC News Network with a solo show representing multiple minority identities, was denied.”

In addition, the complaint alleges that Dhanraj was repeatedly “harassed and bullied by Mr. Cochrane and Ms. Barton” while accusing higher-ranking CBC management of failing to resolve his complaints against Barton and Cochrane. Attempts by Dhanraj to ask for a formal investigation were denied, the complaint says. 

After returning from medical leave last year, Dhanraj asked again for a formal investigation into his complaints about mistreatment and being silenced. His complaint says no action was taken and he was once again pressured into signing an NDA in which he agreed to resign in return for a $30,000 payout. 

Dhanraj’s Demands

Dhanraj is seeking unspecified damages for lost income and mental distress and is asking CBC complete a full review of its diversity and anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, as well as implement a robust whistleblower program for employees with complaints. 

Dhanraj cannot launch a civil lawsuit because he is unionized, but can pursue a human rights complaint, according to his lawyer. CBC maintains that Dhanraj is still an employee on leave and hasn’t followed the proper procedure for submitting his resignation. 

“Mr. Dhanraj remains a unionized employee, currently on leave. His lawyer has been aware for many weeks of what is required for CBC to process his resignation, however, CBC to this date has received no response on the matter,” Kelly said. 

Dhanraj’s criticism of the public broadcaster has drawn political attention, with Conservatives on the parliamentary heritage committee requesting hearings be held to look into his allegations, according to a July 9 social media post from Conservative MP Rachel Thomas.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has long called for the CBC to be defunded, accusing the public broadcaster of bias and saying its English-language services no longer serve a purpose that can’t be filled by existing private media.  

CBC/Radio-Canada received an estimated $1.38 billion in federal funding during fiscal year 2024-2025.