TVNZ asks two employees, one contractor to leave after allegations of sexual harassment

TVNZ asks two employees, one contractor to leave after allegations of sexual harassment
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State broadcaster TVNZ has asked two employees and one contractor to leave due to sexual misconduct in the past five years. 

Information released to NZ Herald under the Official Information Act revealed there have been five incidents of sexual harassment or sexism at the broadcaster in the same time period. 

A TVNZ spokesperson confirmed to Newshub staff had left, but wouldn't clarify which branch of the company the allegations related to. 

"We do not tolerate any form of harassment or inappropriate behaviour in our workplace. If required, we will ask people to leave our organisation if their conduct does not meet our standards," TVNZ spokesperson Rachel Howard says. 

The broadcaster also said they do not know of any employees having criminal convictions for sexual assault, child abuse or indecent assault in the last five years. 

In 2019, TVNZ chief executive Kevin Kenrick invited any employees who had experienced harassment to come forward in a public statement.

That plea came in the wake of ex-TVNZ employee Andi Brotherston tweeting her story of a senior manager at the network sexually harassing her in 2010.

She said she had made a complaint about the incident at the time, but the human resources representative she'd spoken to had "burst out laughing and said 'don't be ridiculous Andi... No-one will believe you'".

Kenrick said he wanted the company to learn from its past mistakes, inviting others to come forward.

"We think that there is an opportunity to learn from that and, where appropriate, to apologise for behaviour that was unacceptable."

The media has been under the spotlight recently after a Mediaworks radio host stood down after allegations of sexual harassment. 

Five Radio New Zealand employees have also been reported for sexual harassment, misconduct or sexism in the last five years.