Travis Dhanraj, a prominent Indian-origin broadcaster at CBC News, resigned on Monday, citing a “toxic” workplace culture. He accused the national broadcaster of practicing “tokenism masquerading as diversity,” highlighting issues of retaliation, exclusion, and psychological harm within the organization. Dhanraj revealed that raising tough questions about diversity, political coverage, and editorial independence led to a hostile work environment.His lawyer confirmed plans to file a formal human rights complaint against CBC. The broadcaster denied the allegations, emphasizing privacy concerns. Dhanraj’s resignation has sparked wider discussions on inclusivity, fairness, and bias within Canadian media institutions.
Indian-origin broadcaster Travis Dhanraj’s resignation letter highlights toxic work culture
Dhanraj’s resignation letter, shared widely across Canadian media, revealeda the struggles he faced at CBC. He stated, “This was not a voluntary decision,” explaining that his departure followed his attempts to navigate a workplace “defined by retaliation, exclusion, and psychological harm.” He emphasised that raising difficult questions about tokenism, problematic political coverage, and the erosion of editorial independence at CBC effectively became a “career-ending move.”
Dhanraj’s lawyer details a toxic work environment at CBC
According to Dhanraj’s lawyer, Kathryn Marshall, the broadcaster is plagued by “toxic” and “bullying” behaviors, allegedly carried out by a “small circle of senior Ottawa-based journalists.” Marshall confirmed that Dhanraj intends to file a formal human rights complaint against CBC News in response to these issues.In a public post on X (formerly Twitter), Dhanraj clarified that his resignation was not just about his personal experience. He wrote, “It’s about trust in the CBC, a public institution that’s supposed to serve you. It’s about voices being sidelined, hard truths avoided, and the public being left in the dark about what’s really happening inside their national broadcaster.”
Source: X
CBC denies allegations of toxicity
A CBC spokesperson responded by categorically rejecting the accusations, stating, “While we are limited in what we can say due to privacy and confidentiality considerations, CBC rejects the allegations made about CBC News, our staff, and management.”
Background: Dhanraj’s roots and CBC’s controversies
Travis Dhanraj, born in Calgary, Alberta, is of Indo-Caribbean descent with family roots in Trinidad. He formerly hosted CBC’s Canada Tonight. In recent years, CBC has faced criticism over alleged bias, especially regarding its coverage of the opposition Conservative Party during former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure.