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An AFL staff member has been forced to leave the code’s head office following a string of sexual harassment complaints.

The unnamed male employee was accused of making inappropriate comments towards his female colleagues.

As reported by Melbourne newspaper The Herald Sun, the male employee was accused of making inappropriate comments towards his female colleagues.

An initial complaint was made by one woman before others came forward to share similar incidents, prompting the male employee to hand in his resignation last week.

The latest resignation caps off a challenging year for AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan, following the resignation of senior executive Simon Lethlean and Richard Simkiss in July over separate inappropriate sexual relationships with junior female AFL staff members.

Ali Fahour, the AFL’s former diversity manager, quit the same month after he was suspended for 14 weeks for a striking inciden during a Northern Football League match that resulted in criminal charges.

Tanya Hosch, AFL General Manager of Inclusion and Social Policy, told The Herald Sun in response to questions about the latest incident that the sport “continues to strive for the highest standards at all times.”

“Our organisation’s responsibility is to provide an environment that is inclusive and free from any form of discrimination.

“We know that people reporting inappropriate behaviour with confidence that they will be taken seriously and responded to fairly and thoroughly is crucial to us meeting these standards.”

Kate Jenkins, Sex Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission, was making a speech at the Safer Workplaces Strategies Forum for NSW Women in Film and TV today.

Jenkins, who is also a Carlton FC board member, said in the public speech that more needed to be done to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

Jenkins stated “there needs to be an organisational culture within the workplace of zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

“This must be promoted at all levels of leadership.

“In my experience, it is rarely ‘one bad apple’ within a workplace causing these issues - it is a broader, systemic tolerance of sexual harassment.” 

17th November 2017 - AFL LAUNCHES NEW RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY POLICY

7th September 2017 - AFL BREAKS HOME-AND-AWAY SEASON ATTENDANCE RECORD 

14th July 2017 - SENIOR AFL EXECUTIVES RESIGN OVER ‘INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIPS’ 

7th July 2017 - AFL DIVERSITY MANAGER ALI FAHOUR STEPS DOWN FOLLOWING STRIKING INCIDENT 

15th November 2016 - AFL ADVISED TO PLAN FOR LONG TERM INTEREST IN WOMEN’S COMPETITION 

27th March 2016 - AFL PROGRAM ENCOURAGES CULTURAL DIVERSITY ON AND OFF THE FOOTBALL FIELD 

26th September 2015 - PERTH STADIUM MANAGEMENT CONDEMN FAN VIOLENCE AT DOMAIN STADIUM

28th May 2015 - AFL SPORTSREADY LAUNCHES INAUGURAL RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN

2nd June 2014 - AFL CONGRATULATED FOR BACKING RECONCILIATION INITIATIVES

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