Travis Dhanraj, a television anchor who briefly hosted the CBC News Network program Canada Tonight, has filed a federal complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission alleging race-based discrimination, retaliation and a toxic workplace at the public broadcaster.
In the complaint, filed Thursday, Dhanraj, 43, says he was hired in late 2023 on the understanding that he would have complete editorial control of the program. He alleges that instead he was expected to be the “token brown man” on the network and that his attempts to book conservative guests were repeatedly ignored. The filing says he was sidelined after asking for a diversity, equity and inclusion review and was subject to harassment, bullying and retaliation before leaving the network in July.
The complaint lays out a timeline of disputes between Dhanraj and CBC management. It says that in February 2024 he requested a DEI investigation after concerns about editorial practices. Management, the filing alleges, responded by accusing him of mounting a “crusade” and telling him to “work within the system.” The filing also says that after an April 2024 post on X in which Dhanraj criticized CBC president Catherine Tait — who had faced criticism for approving roughly $18 million in bonuses for executives and non-union staff following announced layoffs affecting lower-level employees — executives launched an internal investigation into his conduct and editorial decisions.
Dhanraj’s complaint contends that booking and editorial protocols were used to deny him access to key newsmakers and to steer high-profile guests to other hosts, naming Power & Politics host David Cochrane and chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton as examples of colleagues who received resources and opportunities Dhanraj says he was denied. In a copy of what the complaint describes as an “involuntary resignation” letter that was published by the Toronto Sun in July, Dhanraj wrote, “I was repeatedly denied access to key newsmakers. Internal booking and editorial protocols were weaponized to create structural barriers for some while empowering others — particularly a small circle of senior Ottawa-based journalists. When I questioned these imbalances, I was met with silence, resistance and, eventually, retaliation.”
The filing further alleges that the CBC repeatedly attempted to coerce Dhanraj into signing a non-disclosure agreement and that he was pressured to resign while on medical leave. It says he was hauled into disciplinary meetings and issued a written warning that he views as intended to silence and demoralize him. Dhanraj is seeking damages for discrimination, retaliation and what his complaint describes as rampant mistreatment.
The CBC pushed back on the allegations. In a statement to media outlet Truth North, CBC spokesperson Kerry Kelly said the network “rejects [Dhanraj’s] version of events,” called the filings “attacks on our hosts and newsroom leaders” and said the broadcaster will “vigorously defend against false claims, including allegations of political bias in guest selection.” Kelly noted that Dhanraj remains a unionized employee who is on leave and said the network has not received a response from his legal counsel regarding what is required to process his resignation.
Dhanraj’s lawyer, Kathryn Marshall, posted on X that her client has sued the CBC for discrimination, retaliation and mistreatment. The human rights complaint is part of a broader set of grievances the host has raised publicly and privately with the broadcaster, according to his filing.
The allegations arrive amid heightened scrutiny of the CBC’s management decisions and finances. Public attention intensified last year after the broadcaster announced layoffs for more than 140 lower-level staff while approving substantial bonus payments for executives and non-union employees. That controversy figured in Dhanraj’s April X post requesting an interview with CBC’s president to discuss budget priorities, jobs and the corporation’s strategic direction; the complaint says the request was declined.
CBC internal processes for handling editorial disputes, disciplinary matters and resignations are governed by union agreements and internal policies. The network has said it will contest the allegations; the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the parties did not immediately provide additional comment beyond the statements already issued. Dhanraj’s complaint will be considered under the commission’s procedures for alleged discrimination in federally regulated workplaces as it moves through intake and any subsequent investigatory steps.