Stan Grant: “This was an awful misunderstanding at an emotionally fraught time”

Former Q+A host Stan Grant has rejected headlines of a bullying complaint after an exchange with an ABC producer in the broadcaster’s Ultimo foyer.

The Australian pursued documents under the Freedom of Information Act and alleged ‘a lengthy, expletive-laden tirade’ took place in late January with a senior colleague, in front of other staff, after they approached him with a production question.

“The Australian is not suggesting Grant committed any wrongdoing, only that a complaint was lodged and investigated,” the newspaper reported, but not filed by the person involved.

Stan Grant has since told Guardian Australia it was a story which “completely misrepresents everything, when there’s been no complaint, no finding, nothing.”

Grant did admit “he lost it” when he was approached by the colleague because he was talking to a friend about his distress about his niece dying and his father being ill.

In a post on LinkedIn, he hit back at a “smear campaign by media.”

“Earlier this year I was involved in an unfortunate disagreement with a respected colleague,” he wrote. “I was deep in conversation in the ABC foyer with a friend and colleague who was consoling me over the sudden death of my niece 24 hours earlier. I had also just returned from caring for my elderly ailing father. I was in an emotionally fragile state.

“A colleague approached me in what I and the witness felt was a confrontational manner.

“Things escalated in a way they should not and things were said that were not acceptable. I accept responsibility for this. I should have behaved better.

“In hindsight I should not have been at work but I felt an obligation to host Q+A before driving to be with my family and deliver the eulogy at my niece’s funeral.”

According to Guardian, ABC management did discuss the incident with both parties who have conflicting accounts of what took place, but there was no formal complaint. No one who witnessed the incident has described it as “bullying” but rather as a single altercation.

But Grant was also unhappy with the way ABC handled the incident.

“The ABC typically has failed to tell the truth,” he wrote. “Instead it is hiding behind bureaucracy. The ABC crafted a statement which I rejected. I believe the truth is more important.