Ray Hadley case: Ex-producer’s 94 ‘vile’ bullying claims
Radio broadcaster Ray Hadley allegedly hurled “vile slurs” at his former long-time producer Chris Bowen “almost every day” for 20 years and made racist comments about a fellow host, a court has heard.
Police & Courts
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Sydney radio shock jock Ray Hadley hurled “vile” racist and homophobic slurs at his colleagues for years, calling one staffer a “lazy, black c***”, a court heard.
Former 2GB producer Chris Bowen is suing the talkback radio heavyweight for compensation, with his lawyer alleging he was bullied “almost everyday, often dozens of times a day, over a period of nearly 20 years.”
Barrister Shaun McCarthy told Downing Centre District Court the high profile broadcaster levelled “vile, homophobic slurs” against Mr Bowen hundreds of times during his career at the station.
“On 20 occasions Mr Hadley called my client a bald, fat c***,” he said on Monday.
Mr Hadley’s lawyer argued no precise times or dates have been provided for the 94 separate categories of alleged harassment which have “no factual underpinning.”
Defence barrister Callan O’Neill wants the majority of Mr Bowen’s “vague” statement of claim struck out and is seeking an order for mediation.
But Mr McCarthy said the veteran talk show host prolifically used vulgar language to vilify his client daily.
The court heard allegations Mr Hadley also made “disgraceful” racist comments about other employees, calling current Triple M host Luke Bona a “lazy, black c***.”
“Now just how ambiguous is that?” Mr McCarthy said.
Mr Bowen says he suffered psychiatric injury from Mr Hadley’s constant verbal abuse at work, claiming damages for intentional infliction of mental harm.
But Mr O’Neill insists more detail is needed because the former staffer struggled from mental health issues both before and after his employment at 2BG, where Mr Hadley had no duty of care.
Mr McCarthy said it was “extraordinary” that Mr Hadley’s team raised objections to Mr Bowen’s statement of claim “nine months after the starting gun has gone off.”
He wants to keep the names of people giving evidence at the trial hidden from the defence, because Mr Bowen is concerned about “witness intimidation.”
During a fiery exchange Mr O’Neill said keeping Mr Hadley in the dark about such serious issues offended “every principle of open justice.”
Judicial registrar James Howard said he’d give Mr Hadley’s legal team a list of witnesses identified by their roles before ruling on whether to disclose their names.
Registrar Howard indicated he would send the parties to mediate “at some point,” but Mr McCarthy said: “we don’t want things held up even longer waiting for a mediation which may or may not be successful.”
Last year Mr Hadley apologised for any hurt he’d caused, announcing on air that he’d had a professional “father and son” relationship with his personal panel operator that could sometimes be volatile.
He added that Bowen’s departure from the station in early 2019 was “one of the saddest days” in his career.
“I’ve admitted to my previous shortcomings, I’ve also made no secret of the fact that in recent years I have done everything I can to do better,” Mr Hadley said.
Mr Bowen is represented by John Laxon, the lawyer behind the settlement made between Mr Hadley and another former 2GB staffer, Richard Palmer, in early 2014.
After Mr Bowen took his workplace bullying allegations public with a Facebook post last March, two other ex-colleagues spoke out on ABC’s 7.30 claiming Mr Hadley had a “ferocious rage” and thrived on intimidation.
The case will return to court in June.