TORONTO — Wilfrid Laurier University issued a statement Tuesday strongly condemning an apparent former student's actions after sexually explicit taunts were hurled at a female TV reporter.

A man widely identified by media outlets and on social media as Shawn Simoes was one of several men involved in the incident Sunday at a Toronto FC soccer match.

A Hydro One spokesperson on Tuesday said Simoes, an assistant network management engineer, was fired for violating the company's code of conduct.

In a CityNews video, reporter Shauna Hunt is shown challenging several men — one of whom was identified as Simoes — after she found herself on the receiving end of a trend in which an obscenity is shouted out during on-camera interviews.

A man named Shawn Simoes attended Wilfrid Laurier University and played for its men's soccer team from 2003 to 2005. He was one of several Laurier alumni to attend a tryout for Toronto FC ahead of its first season. He didn't advance past the second round.

A statement issued by the university Tuesday said it "strongly condemns the extremely offensive and discriminatory comments made to a female television reporter at a recent Toronto FC soccer game. Laurier is deeply disappointed that Laurier alumni were associated with this incident.

"Laurier has a long track record of fighting gendered violence and promoting a climate of respect, inclusion, diversity, equality and safety. We continue to work to eliminate gendered violence at Laurier — and to support the healing of those who have experienced it — through continuous inclusive dialogue, meaningful and ongoing training initiatives, accessible policies and protocols, community engagement, support services and campus collaborations."

Simoes, who was also listed online as a member of AC Hydro One, a team in the Ontario Hydro Soccer League, did not respond to a request for comment.

Hunt said her confrontation, which triggered a flood of social media support and praise from Ontario's premier, came about after almost a year of nearly constant harassment.

"I hit my limit and I had to push back," Hunt said in a telephone interview. "I wasn't going to stand for it anymore. It was time to say something."

Her confrontation with the men, captured by CityNews cameras and aired later that day, shows the men dismissing Hunt as she asks what could prompt them to taunt women in such a way.

When asked how their mothers would appreciate such conduct, one man is heard saying that she would have found it funny eventually.

Hunt said she hopes the video shines a light on an issue that Canadian female reporters have been grappling with since at least last summer.

"It happens almost every day, sometimes numerous times a day," Hunt said. "It's not just me, it's reporters all over the city almost on a daily basis."

Similar vulgar comments were directed to a CBC reporter several times as she covered the recent St. Patrick's Day party on Ezra Avenue in Waterloo.

Since Sunday's incident, many of Hunt's colleagues shared their own experiences of being taunted on air, with one reporter telling CityNews she had once heard the same sexually explicit remark shouted by a nine-year-old boy.

The child's actions, according to one gender analyst, show that overt sexism can take a heavy toll on society as a whole.

Steph Guthrie said such comments make women feel objectified and powerless to shift the focus from their bodies back to their professional accomplishments.

She also said allowing verbal taunts to go unpunished can set the stage for younger generations to keep the cycle alive.

"When these videos are circulating and young men are seeing this as an example of how to 'perform' their masculinity, they're getting, I would say, a violent understanding of what masculinity is, and they're seeing it as a show of dominance over women in particular," she said.

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Backlash against Hunt's hecklers was swift and wide-ranging even before word of Simoes' termination.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Toronto FC soccer team, said the perpetrators would be banned from future games if they are identified. Social media was abuzz with potential names of the two men.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment also pledged to offer tighter security measures for female reporters covering future events, a move applauded by Toronto FC's general manger.

Tim Bezbatchenko said harsh penalties are necessary to send a message that "degrading" behaviour is not acceptable, adding he hopes to shift the dialogue toward solutions rather than problems.

"We have a platform to address things that are still happening in society, and that's really what's important," he said. "I think we need to work together, the whole city of Toronto and all of our sports fans, to eradicate this type of behaviour on our properties."

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne jumped into the fray, sending a tweet praising CityNews for airing Hunt's footage and condemning workplace sexual harassment.

"Thanks @citynews for saying #ItsNeverOkay. Whether or not it's caught on film, sexual harassment at work is no joke," the tweet read.

The phenomenon of shouting lewd remarks at female reporters is far from local. In 2014, reports began emerging in the United States of men approaching female reporters as they were doing live bulletins, trying to commandeer their microphones and yelling about committing sex acts.

Similar incidents in Canada have prompted police forces in both Toronto and Calgary to warn that future hecklers could find themselves facing criminal charges.

Hunt said her spontaneous decision to confront the latest group of hecklers was prompted by a wish to make them realize the impact of their words.

"I just want anyone who's ever done it or is thinking of doing it or thinks it's funny, just think of the consequences," she said. "It's degrading, it's disrespectful. You really put these reporters in a very uncomfortable position, and it's not just me — we're all sick of it."

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