EXCLUSIVE: ITN is facing fresh questions about its workplace culture after an external review concluded that a journalist suffered disability discrimination when raising concerns about his working environment, Deadline can reveal.
Leo, a pseudonym we are using to protect the identity of the journalist, left ITN in April with a “significant” undisclosed financial settlement after a tumultuous conclusion to his 12-year-long career at the company, where he was once recognized as a rising star and secured Royal Television Society award nominations.
ITN is the respected British production outfit behind ITV, Channel 4 and Paramount-owned 5’s news services, as well as hit Netflix documentaries, such as The Investigation of Lucy Letby. But in recent years it has been dogged by questions about its culture, approach to complaints handling, and use of non-disclosure agreements.
In 2024, a review by law firm Simmons & Simmons concluded that there was “low trust and psychological safety” within parts of ITN, according to a summary seen by Deadline. Some employees complained that they were reluctant to speak out, fearing that it could impact their wellbeing.
Leo’s story thrusts these issues back into the spotlight, not least because the external HR consultant engaged by ITN to improve workplace conditions and provide management training was deemed to have discriminated against Leo, albeit unintentionally.
ITN said the wellbeing of its employees was “paramount,” and that it investigates concerns fairly and has learned from past mistakes. The company strongly refutes the way the events involving Leo have been characterized, but said it could not comment on individuals. ITN did not admit any liability as part of Leo’s exit agreement, per documents seen by Deadline.
Leo, who did not sign an NDA after leaving ITN, has a history of mental health issues. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after reporting on the terror attack on an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in 2017. Then in 2023, he was signed off work and hospitalized with depression.
ITN gave Leo access to trauma support and private therapy, but has admitted to shortcomings in handling his mental health after his 2023 breakdown. This included breaching his privacy in July 2024 when an HR executive shared sensitive information about his condition without Leo’s consent.
In interviews with Deadline, Leo said the deterioration of his working relationship with a senior colleague sparked a chain of events that led to his departure, including Leo himself facing a gross misconduct investigation. Deadline is not disclosing the identity of the senior colleague or the ITN division in which Leo worked.
Leo alleged that the relationship breakdown was exacerbated by a power imbalance that resulted in him becoming isolated at work. This was disputed by other sources familiar with the situation, who did not recognize the power dynamic described by Leo. The sources added that the relationship breakdown also provoked serious concerns about the wellbeing of the senior colleague.
In November 2024, Leo wrote an email to his senior colleague detailing his misgivings about their working relationship, as well as expressing concerns to managers and HR. The correspondence triggered an ITN investigation, which was overseen by a representative from People Puzzles, an external HR consultancy drafted in to improve ITN’s people management and complaints procedures.
Leo told ITN he did not want or expect the matters to be formally investigated. He feared that the investigation could be weighted in favor of his colleague because of their seniority, despite receiving assurances that this was not the case. The senior colleague was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing, but Leo claimed that the investigation was flawed because of its focus on his mental illness.
His subsequent complaint about ITN’s investigation was examined as part of an external review by Kane HR, per a report seen by Deadline. Kane HR concluded that the ITN’s investigation “inappropriately strayed” into a discussion about Leo’s mental wellbeing and its impact on the workplace, instead of focusing on fact-finding.
“My view is that [the] employee was subjected to some disadvantages in the investigation process, based on his disability, and it could have been conducted in a fairer and more conciliatory way,” the report said.
Kane HR concluded that Leo’s experience was “discriminatory,” though stressed that this was not done intentionally and that no “statutory requirements” were breached by the People Puzzles consultant. The Kane HR report said the original investigation’s recommendations were “comprehensive and reasonable,” but added that there were elements of Leo’s experience that “may have been appropriate to investigate further.”
Leo submitted his written statement after the original investigation had closed, telling ITN he was too unwell to meet earlier deadlines set by the People Puzzles consultant. Kane HR said another deadline extension would have been a “reasonable adjustment” given the “knowledge of his ill health.” Once the statement was received, the People Puzzles consultant’s view was that it did not change the outcome of the investigation, which absolved the senior colleague.
ITN stands by the findings of the original investigation, despite admitting that the process was flawed. In a June 2025 email to Leo, ITN’s general counsel Zaffrin O’Sullivan wrote: “The company accepts the findings set out in the report and acknowledges and apologises for the instances in which [Kane HR] has found that the original investigation fell short of the standards which you were entitled to expect having raised concerns.” She later told him that it was a “red line” moment for ITN, according to Leo.
People Puzzles, which did not respond to a request for comment, is no longer engaged by ITN.
After the investigations, ITN and Leo established a framework for his continued employment, but he argued that the arrangements diluted his role and responsibilities, leaving him isolated and vulnerable to losing his job. Leo’s former co-workers told Deadline that it was a complex situation for all involved. These ITN insiders said the relationship breakdown, and subsequent working framework, created confusion about responsibilities and was difficult to navigate.
In December 2025, Leo filed an employment tribunal lawsuit against ITN, claiming discrimination arising from his disability. Within weeks, the company launched its own investigation into Leo’s conduct, citing concerns that he went on a reporting assignment without permission, published an article on Substack without approval, and made a comment to a manager that was perceived as a threat to report his superior to HR. The review concluded that Leo’s actions amounted to gross misconduct and he would face disciplinary action, according to a document seen by Deadline.
Leo denied wrongdoing and told Deadline that the investigation felt like a retaliatory “fishing expedition” designed to gather evidence ahead of a potential legal battle. Leo claimed that he was not allowed to call his own witnesses as part of an investigation, which ITN insiders dispute, even though all those interviewed were his superiors. Leo added that he was never shown the terms of reference and the investigation report made no substantive allowances for his mental health or previous experience of discrimination.
In a letter to ITN, Leo’s therapist said the investigation had a “profound psychological” impact on the journalist. “Where an individual already experiences the workplace as unsafe, unsupportive, or punitive after raising concerns, the escalation of formal processes can be profoundly destabilising,” she added.
Leo’s attorney argued that the ITN investigation was a “further act of discrimination” and was evidence that his working relationship had “irretrievably broken down,” per a letter seen by Deadline. Proposing an exit deal that would involve Leo dropping his lawsuit, the lawyer added: “My client cannot now, in good conscience, remain in a working environment that is making him unwell and poses further risk to his mental health.”
Leo left in April with an undisclosed payoff as part of an agreement that settled his lawsuit, but he has continued to raise concerns about his experience. “I just wouldn’t want anyone else to go through this,” Leo told Deadline. “I believed in [ITN], and I believed in its journalistic principles. It was my dream place to work and to then have the experience that I had was just beyond devastating.”
ITN insiders shared concerns about the company’s HR processes, but they told Deadline that it would have been a complex situation to navigate, even for an extremely skilled and experienced people management professional.
An ITN spokesperson told Deadline: “When a concern is raised we consider it promptly, thoroughly and fairly in view of everyone involved. The wellbeing of all our staff is paramount, and where shortcomings to HR processes have been identified in the past we have learnt from them and always seek continual improvement. While we strongly refute the way these events have been characterised, it would not be appropriate to comment on individuals.”
ITN’s culture was a subject of discussion in UK Parliament in March 2025. MP Layla Moran used parliamentary privilege to tell the story of a female employee, who was allegedly suspended after complaining about a “coercive, controlling sexual relationship with an older male editor.” Moran claimed that the woman was prevented from speaking about her experience because of an NDA.
More recently, former 5 News presenter Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije sued ITN over allegations of sexism, racial harassment, unfair dismissal, and suffering a detriment due to exercising her whistleblowing rights. The case was settled before going to court, with ITN denying wrongdoing.
ITN has since installed Ian Rumsey as its new CEO, replacing Rachel Corp in May. The company’s HR team has also been restructured following the Simmons & Simmons review, while internal employee resources for reporting concerns have been strengthened.
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