City News reporter confronts Toronto FC fans for their vulgar remarks

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Shauna Hunt had had enough.

The City News reporter was interviewing Toronto FC fans outside BMO Field on Sunday evening when a nearby heckler shouted obscenities in her mic’s direction:

“F— her right in the p—-,” he shouted, interrupting Hunt’s interview.

The so-called “F— her right in the p—-!” prank — or “FHRITP” — is one in which passersby shout the vulgar phrase in hearing distance of on-air reporters.

Instead of ignoring the fan’s abusive language, Hunt turned to the group of intoxicated men and confronted them on camera.

“I get this every single day, 10 times a day, by rude guys like you,” Hunt told them. “When you talk into my microphone and say that into my camera to viewers at the station I work at, it’s disrespectful and degrading to me.”

The exchange when viral online. Toronto FC is now working to identify the men in question. They will receive lifetime bans from all MLSE facilities.

“Moving forward, we will also work with our local television outlets to provide extra security support to female reporters doing live hits at any of our games. Our organization is committed to an environment where everyone can feel safe and included and discrimination or intolerance of any kind will be met with a swift and serious response,” an MLSE spokesman, who called the incident “disgusting,” said in a statement.

“We’re thankful to the vast majority of our fans who have stood up against such sexist behaviour and are working with us to help prevent it in the future.”

"This is something that happens to reporters on a daily basis but on Sunday at the TFC game it was out of control,” Hunt said in a statement to the Toronto Sun.

“I had intoxicated men yelling it at me. I was interrupted during interviews and was anxious about going live. I felt like a piece of meat. I had reached my limit, and it was time to push back!”

Other reporters quickly applauded Hunt for exposing the all-too-common harassment.

“What is it that makes them think that this is OK?” veteran television journalist Cynthia Mulligan said on City TV’s website. “Because it’s a verbal assault. It just is.”

“It’s violent and offensive,” wrote CBC reporter Tanya Birkbeck. “It suggests that a woman who is doing what can be a pretty serious and intellectually rigorous job can be reduced to simply a sexual object which can be taken at will.”

“Sometimes we just have to speak out and say something is really not acceptable,” Birkbeck added. “Would you want someone to yell ‘f— her right in the p—-‘ in public to your mother? To your sister? To your daughter?”

Toronto police told City News that charges can likely be laid.

“I think there are a number of charges that could be laid,” said Meaghan Gray of the Toronto police. “You could be looking at breach of the peace, or harassment, sexual harassment, mischief…”