Longtime radio host John Derringer leaves Q107 amid ongoing investigation

Longtime radio personality John Derringer is leaving his position as host of Q107's 'Derringer in the Morning' after 22 years amid an investigation into verbal abuse and gender discrimination in the workplace.

Q107, a Toronto rock station owned by Corus Entertainment, made the announcement Tuesday in a statement shared to their Twitter profile.

A statement from Q107 pic.twitter.com/lNiiw77xDc

— Q107 Toronto (@Q107Toronto) August 9, 2022

“Q107 and John Derringer have agreed to part ways, effective today,” the statement reads. “The independent investigation initiated by Corus remains ongoing.”

In May, Derringer's former co-host, Jennifer Valentyne, made allegations of workplace harassment in a 12-minute long video shared to her social media channels.

Valentyne didn’t name Derringer in the video, but referenced an unnamed co-host. Derringer was put "on-hiatus" days later.

Within the video, Valentyne asks, "“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? That he didn’t feel one bit sorry for you, and let you know with utter conviction that if you went to HR, they would choose him?”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jennifer Valentyne (@jennifervalentyne)

“Would you take a dream job working as a radio host if you knew you would be working with a co-host with accusations of prior abusive behaviour towards women and that you would also be exposed to two, sometimes three men vaping in an enclosed room for four hours a day with no ventilation? Would you complain about it?” she continues.

In a statement sent to CTV News Toronto following the allegations in May, Corus Entertainment confirmed they'd received complaints from Valentyne.

“A few years ago, Ms. Valentyne shared certain concerns and we took action to review at that time. There is also a process underway with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. We have had mediated conversations with her, been responsive to proceedings, and we are waiting determination of next steps,” the statement said.

They also said they would be launching an external investigation into the alleged incidents. Derringer was placed "on-hiatus" days later.

The company says plans for the show will be forthcoming.