Ultimo eruption: ABC bosses investigated bullying complaint against Stan Grant

ABC bosses investigated an incident involving Stan Grant and a senior colleague in the foyer of the broadcaster’s Ultimo HQ in full view of witnesses.

Former ABC host Stan Grant was the subject of an internal investigation at the national broadcaster. Picture: Nick Cubbin

ABC management investigated a public bullying incident involving Indigenous presenter Stan Grant and a senior ABC colleague, which occurred in the foyer of the broadcaster’s Ultimo headquarters in full view of witnesses.

Documents obtained by The Australian using the Freedom of Information Act reveal a complaint was lodged about Grant in the days after he allegedly erupted in a lengthy, expletive-laden tirade against the female ABC staff member.

Grant allegedly shouted at the woman, a longstanding colleague, for several minutes in front of dozens of ABC staff after she approached him with a question concerning production of a show.

At the time, Grant was hosting two ABC TV programs, China Tonight and Q+A. The incident took place in late January, the same day political discussion show Q+A was due to return for 2023.

Stan Grant on his final Q+A show on Monday, May 22, 2023, before taking indefinite leave. Picture: ABC

Despite full knowledge of the alleged outburst, ABC management put Grant to air that evening to lead the live discussion panel.

The documents state the ABC was advised of a “prospect of litigation” concerning the complaint. The Australian is not suggesting Grant committed any wrongdoing, only that a complaint was lodged and investigated. He did not respond to questions and has since left his role at the broadcaster; the woman allegedly involved in the matter – whom The Australian is not naming – remains on staff and did not respond to a request for comment.

The Australian understands the staff member involved did not make the formal complaint to management. Specific details about the incident were redacted in nine pages of documents – from a total of 14 – which include correspondence between Grant and the ABC’s head of news, Justin Stevens, who conducted inquiries.

The inquiries were made between February 3 and March 3, although what management action was ultimately taken against Grant remains unclear.

The ABC headquarters in Ultimo, Sydney.

The ABC declined to comment; however, the broadcaster claimed legal professional privilege over a number of documents sought, including legal advice.

“These documents comprise communications and documents created in connection with a potential dispute for the dominant purpose of the ABC’s internal lawyers advising their client, the ABC, about the then prospect of litigation,” wrote Ali Edwards, the ABC’s head of rights management and FOI decision-maker.

“A limited group of people at the ABC are aware of private matters raised in the documents and access (sic) this information has been limited internally such that it is shared on a limited need-to-know basis with relevant decision makers and advisers,” she said.

The incident is understood to have taken place in the weeks leading up to the return of China Tonight, on ABC News Channel. Grant had previously hosted China Tonight and was slated to continue in that role with the news and current affairs program into 2023.

On February 22, nearly a month after the alleged incident, the ABC revealed Grant would be replaced by ABC business reporter Samuel Yang and comedian Annie Louey.

ABC director of news, analysis and investigations Justin Stevens.

Grant fronted Q+A until May but stepped down after he came under fire for his role on the ABC’s broadcast of the coronation of King Charles III. Last week he announced he had resigned from the ABC weeks ago.

Grant faced heated public scrutiny in May following the ABC’s broadcast of the coronation. The 45-minute panel program, which featured several pro-republic presenters, discussed at length the issue of colonisation and the damage the British monarchy had caused to Indigenous Australians.

In a piece published by the ABC on May 19, Grant complained about a lack of support he received in the face of public criticism, saying no one at the ABC had “uttered one word of public support” in the wake of criticism of the coronation broadcast.

Staff walked out of the ABC newsroom three days later when Grant revealed he had been subject to online abuse over his role in the coronation programming and as host of Q+A. Holding signs marked “I stand with Stan” and “We reject racism”, ABC staff demonstrated their support.

Stevens, who managed the complaint against Grant, said the television host had faced a tirade of criticism “particularly in the usual sections of the media that target the ABC”.

“Clearly, Stan felt let down by the fact I wasn’t out there and the ABC wasn’t out there publicly defending him in recent weeks,” he said. “I feel devastated that he feels let down by us.”

Grant recently joined the Asia-Pacific arm of the Constructive Institute, based at Monash University. He is currently on a six-week visit to the program’s Denmark headquarters.