TORONTO

The CBC is asking employees to come forward as part of a “continuing investigation” involving former Q radio host Jian Ghomeshi, according to a leaked internal memo.

“We became aware of a specific claim of impropriety towards one of our employees through a story in the Toronto Star late last evening,” wrote Roula Zaarour, CBC/Radio-Canada’s vice-president of people and culture.

“As part of our continuing investigation, we will take into account any new information that becomes available to us, either directly or indirectly. When we identify behaviours or activities that are inconsistent with our established policies, we have a responsibility to take appropriate action, and we do.”

The document says the CBC has always encouraged its employees to come forward in a working environment through their direct supervisor, union or human resources representative.

Ghomeshi, 47, said he was fired by CBC on Sunday, alleging a “fear of how the public would react to” his controversial sex life.

His lawyers have filed a $55-million lawsuit against the CBC claiming Ghomeshi was fired — not because of non-consensual sex — but that he “engaged in bondage dominant-submissive and sadism-masochism” and the public broadcaster worried how it would look if that information became public.

Earlier this week, the Star published a story which referred to three women who alleged he “physically attacked them on dates without consent.” The story contained allegations from a fourth woman who claimed Ghomeshi touched her buttocks at work and told her: “I want to hate f--- you.”

The women were not willing to be publicly identified, according to the report, which also stated no complaints had been filed with police.

While he admitted on a nearly 1,000-word Facebook post Sunday night to having “adventurous” and “rough” sex with a woman, Ghomeshi claims it was consensual.

“We’re going to decline further comment, except to say that we intend to contest this matter vigorously,” CBC spokesman Jeff Keay said Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a Toronto employment and labour lawyer is calling Ghomeshi’s CBC lawsuit “a pure PR stunt.”

Howard Levitt said Tuesday that Ghomeshi cannot sue his former employer as a unionized employee. He has to go through the grievance process as part of his “collective agreement.”

“You can’t sue civilly,” explained Levitt, senior partner at Levitt & Grosman LLP. “The Supreme Court, and courts consistently for decades now, have taken away every unionized employee’s right to sue their employer for anything to do with workplace relationships.”

Navigator — the crisis PR firm hired by Ghomeshi — directed questions to another public relations firm, Rock-It Promotions, which declined comment.

Ghomeshi’s union, the Canadian Media Guild, could not be reached for comment.

jenny.yuen@sunmedia.ca