Toronto radio host suspended after allegations of abusive behaviour from co-host

A popular Toronto radio host has been taken off the air, and the station’s parent company says an investigation is underway after accusations of workplace harassment from former co-hosts.

On Saturday, a video alleging Q107 morning show host John Derringer of abusive behaviour was posted online by fellow Toronto media personality Jennifer Valentyne. The video details several incidents of Derringer shouting and ridiculing his co-host.

“What would you do if a co-worker screamed at you, belittled you, called you names, shut you out, brought you to tears, and then laughed when he told you to cry all you want?” asks Valentyne in the video.

“All this while three other men watched uncomfortably, yet supported him because they knew what would happen to them if they went against him.”

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Valentyne did not name Derringer in the video but has since confirmed to multiple media outlets that he was the person she was referencing. She also accused Corus Entertainment, the company that owns Q107, of knowing about the abuse but allowing it to continue.

“The [Vice-President] told me there would be a problem if I did not move [jobs],” she says in the video. “The real problem was the one they had been sweeping under the rug, avoiding for years.”

Valentyne moved to a television job with Corus in 2019 after co-hosting Derringer in the Morning for two years. She was let go from the company a year later.

She has also filed a gender discrimination complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which will decide whether it will go forward with a tribunal.

Several other co-hosts of the show have backed up the allegations — including Maureen Holloway and Jacqui Delaney. Holloway tells the Toronto Star that Derringer had an anger management issue, but after lodging several complaints, nothing happened, and she was offered a move to another shift.

A spokesperson for Corus Entertainment says the company is “committed to listen, learn, and take appropriate action.”

Derringer was off the air as of Tuesday morning and has not yet commented on the allegations. The ‘Derringer in the Morning‘ show page has been removed from Q107’s website.