The BBC’s handling of the Jeremy Clarkson affair is a crucial “test case” that will reveal whether the broadcaster has learned lessons about handling bullying and harassment claims, according to the union representing broadcasting staff.
The corporation is investigating allegations that the star of the hugely successful Top Gear show, which makes millions in income for the BBC, punched a producer.
Clarkson apparently reported himself to the corporation after the fracas in a hotel in Yorkshire, which was witnessed by several guests.
Scrutiny of the investigation, led by Ken MacQuarrie, the head of BBC Scotland, is likely to be intense, as it was only last month that the corporation approved its new bullying and harassment grievance policy and guide, agreed upon with unions.
The document, designed to improve the way complaints are handled and how staff and freelancers are supported, was drawn up in response to an inquiry by Dinah Rose QC, established after the Jimmy Savile scandal.
The inquiry examined BBC policies and processes relating to sexual harassment, but also laid down new guidelines on respect for colleagues and the behavior expected of both staff and freelancers.
Luke Crawley, assistant general secretary of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU), said the guide’s existence helped to allay fears that the BBC would be able to “wash its dirty linen in private.”
“After the Dinah Rose inquiry, the climate changed a bit and we now have outside people being brought in to examine serious bullying allegations, and that is going to make a huge difference,” he said. “The BBC cannot pretend it is not happening. If it turns out that the allegations are true, then the BBC must take a very firm line. Otherwise it seems to be open season for star presenters taking a pop at staff. This is a pretty serious test case.”
Crawley said broadcasting and entertainment unions had been pushing for the policy to protect freelancers working for the corporation. However, it applied equally to potential abuses of the policy by freelancers, including stars such as Clarkson who are not BBC employees.
“We were very much thinking of it as protecting a freelance working on a show or at a location who was bullied by a BBC employee. It did not occur to us that it might be the freelance who could be doing the bullying,” Crawley said.
He added: “I have been around the BBC 25 years and do not know of any cases when people have been found guilty of fighting and remain in employment — and that includes senior executives.”
Clarkson’s exit would deprive the BBC of a huge star. More than 870,000 people have signed a petition demanding that he keep his job following the fracas with producer Oisin Tymon, apparently sparked when the presenter was told he could not have a hot meal.
The Mirror claims that Clarkson called Tymon a “lazy, Irish cunt” and left the producer with a bloodied lip. Clarkson plans to deny using xenophobic language when he faces a disciplinary inquiry, the paper said.
Doubt was cast over the chances of Clarkson being snapped up by another broadcaster when a senior Sky executive said: “Sky wouldn’t touch him. He used the ‘N-word’ and we have just given out massive diversity targets. And he hit somebody. One question we asked was: ‘Would you be happy having your daughter work for Clarkson?’”
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