Former CBC employee in Yellowknife sues public broadcaster over alleged ‘toxic’ work environment

A former human resources employee at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is suing the national broadcaster, alleging he was “subjected to a toxic working environment” while working in the Yellowknife bureau.

Karl Johnston was employed as a senior talent acquisition specialist at CBC between 2018 and 2023. He filed the lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories in October 2025.

In the lawsuit, Johnston claims that over his five years at CBC, he witnessed discrimination against disabled and Indigenous people in hiring and felt pressured to return to work early while on short-term disability.

Chuck Thompson, the public broadcaster’s head of public affairs, said in a statement that CBC disputes the allegations and intends to defend against the suit in court. He said CBC won’t comment further because it is an active legal file and a statement of defence has not yet been filed with the court.

Thompson said Johnston voluntarily resigned on Oct. 27, 2023.

The lawsuit alleges Johnston was “constructively dismissed” in November 2023. Constructive dismissal occurs when an employer forces an employee to resign without explicitly firing them.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Alleged pressure to return to work

The lawsuit alleges an incident early in Johnston’s employment when another human resources employee at CBC North referred to an empty office as a “crying room” where employees would go to “cope with stress caused by the workplace.”

“This set the tone for a workplace culture that tolerated and perpetuated toxicity, discrimination and harassment,” reads a portion of the suit.

According to the suit, in May 2021 Johnston went on short-term disability after undergoing multiple surgeries. He claims that while on leave, a manager contacted him saying the region was “collapsing” without him.

The suit alleges Johnston returned to work that August, earlier than his medical provider recommended, as a result of the pressure from management. Johnston claims the premature return to work led to complications from his surgery.

Alleged discrimination in hiring

The lawsuit also alleges Johnston was “pressured to work on unethical projects,” including what he alleges was a secret “do not hire” list that included a disproportionate number of marginalized candidates.

The suit alleges Johnston also witnessed discrimination in hiring practices.

It describes an instance where a manager allegedly “explicitly stated they would not hire an Inuit candidate because they speculated the candidate had autism or anxiety.”

The document also alleges Johnston’s messages, texts and emails were monitored after he voiced his opinion that former CBC CEO Catherine Tait’s salary should be made public, and criticized CBC dispensing bonuses to managers while job cuts were forecast.

Johnston is seeking damages equivalent to one year’s salary and benefits, and $300,000 in damages for alleged breaches of duty and contractual obligations.

Note: This story was written by a reporter in British Columbia to ensure editorial distance from the newsroom mentioned in the lawsuit.