Channel Seven has hit back at a former reporter’s claim she was fired from her job after she made a formal complaint about an older, male colleague allegedly sexually harassing her.
Amy Taeuber had been a Seven News cadet in Adelaide for a less than a year in March 2016 when she objected to a man allegedly asking if she was a lesbian.
A recording of the 27-year-old journalist being told she was indefinitely suspended while the network investigates a complaint made against her was aired on ABC’s 7.30 on Monday night.
Channel Seven has hit back at former Adelaide reporter Amy Taeuber’s claim she was fired from her job after she made a complaint about an older, male colleague allegedly sexually harassing her
Ms Taeuber had been a Seven News cadet in Adelaide for a less than a year in March 2016 when she objected to a man allegedly asking if she was a lesbian
Amy Taeuber is pictured with journalist Tracey Spicer at a Women In Media event on Tuesday night
The program claimed Seven had gone through Ms Taeuber’s emails and alleged she had bullied fellow cadet Peter Fegan, who maintains he never made such a claim and still considers his former colleague a friend.
Ms Taeuber was also accused of being directly involved with two websites, including a meme account based on ‘My Kitchen Rules’, which ‘contained disparaging and offensive comments directed towards Seven, its employees and contestants’, according to documents lodged in the Federal Circuit Court.
The 27-year-old, who is a triplet and worked at Seven’s Adelaide department with her sister Sophie, said their third sister, Kate, created the website.
Ms Taeuber maintained neither she nor Sophie – who was also suspended over the issue – were involved.
Seven responded to the ABC and Ms Taeuber’s claims in a formal statement on Tuesday.
A recording of the 27-year-old journalist being told she was indefinitely suspended while the network investigates a complaint made against her was aired on ABC’s 7.30 on Monday night
Seven said in a formal statement Ms Taeuber had been dismissed from her job two months after she was suspended because of a breach of contract, not because of the complaint she filed
The Network accused the journalist of being directly involved with two websites, which ‘contained disparaging and offensive comments directed towards Seven, its employees and contestants’. Her sister Kate (right) ran a satirical website about My Kitchen Rules
The network said Ms Taeuber had been dismissed from her job two months after she was suspended because of a breach of contract.
‘Seven’s HR team did not try to build any case against her and their investigation was not related to any complaint made by Amy about other staff,’ the statement read.
‘Her complaint was fully investigated and resolved. A public apology was issued by the person and he now works another newsroom.’
Seven said it was surprised by Ms Taeuber’s allegations because a ‘mutual agreement and settlement’ had been signed six months ago.
The network also claimed ABC had not approached them for comment before airing the segment.
In the recording, Ms Taeuber is denied the right to have another staff member present for morale support.
Ms Taeuber (centre) and her sister Sophie (left) were both suspended over the satirical websites run by Kate (right)
A female human resources officer tells her she will be relieved of her duties during the suspension and to hand in her phone and security card, surprising Amy.
‘Is this actually for real?’ she says in the audio she recorded on her smartphone.
However, the Seven Network said in its statement Ms Taeuber was not fired until her formal response to the accusations was considered.
It also maintains the 27-year-old received adequate representation during the process.
‘The former employee was represented by two successive firms of lawyers and the union. It is untrue to say that she was not represented.’
‘The matter proceeded to mediation, where she was again represented, culminating in a deed of release which contained a confidentiality provision.’
Amy Taeuber (right) was accused of bullying fellow Seven News cadet Peter Fegan (left)