New allegations of sexual harassment against Kamahl Santamaria from his previous employment at Al Jazeera have been made against him as part of a BBC investigation into the former TVNZ anchor.
According to a BBC report, Santamaria did not directly respond to their inquiries, instead directing their attention to a statement he posted on his website last week in which he expressed regret for his past behavior.
Santamaria allegedly messaged one young producer by the name of Tory, and "on more than one occasion I had to go to the bathroom to wipe Kamahl's saliva from my face."
One young producer, identified only as Tory, alleged Santamaria would message her on social media, and "on more than one occasion I had to go to the bathroom to wipe Kamahl's saliva from my face".
"A hand on the shoulder, a weird hug, and the worst: the kiss on the cheek," she said.
The BBC investigation found many allegations of sexual harassment against Santamaria in the broadcaster's Doha newsroom, based on interviews with several current and former Al Jazeera employees, as well as documentary proof of improper texts and staff complaints. Some claim he wasn't alone.
They also accuse the company of creating a toxic work environment in which allegations of harassment, sexism, bullying, and racism go mostly unresolved. Those who talked to the BBC asked to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardizing their employment. Their names have been altered.
Santamaria left New Zealand's top broadcaster TVNZ in May after only 32 days as a "Breakfast" host, with the state-owned channel blaming the abrupt departure on a "family emergency."
However, Santamaria left after at least one woman in the TVNZ newsroom complained about inappropriate behavior, according to New Zealand outlet Stuff.
Following the Sanatamaria controversy, TVNZ's head of news and current affairs, Paul Yurisich, resigned as well, after a review ordered by CEO Simon Power found TVNZ's hiring processes to be deficient.
Santamaria was hired by Yurisich, who had previously worked with him at Al Jazeera. Concerns were raised with Yurisich about the hiring procedure, according to Stuff.
Other concerns regarding Santamaria came from former coworkers at Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar.
Former staffers told the BBC that they had difficulty addressing concerns with the Qatar-based newsroom.
Because Santamaria was a network star and they were new to the business-and to the Middle East-they didn't report what they believed to be brazen behavior on Santamaria's part, they told the BBC.
The BBC submitted Al Jazeera 22 allegations for them to reply to as part of their investigation.
The broadcaster replied that it "considers its staff across the world to be the backbone and foundation of the company and that their safety and wellbeing are of the utmost importance."