'I no longer feel safe': NRL to investigate sexual harassment claim by female official
The NRL is investigating after a female official claims she felt “physically sick” and “scared” every time she was called into her boss’s office.
Mother-of-two Michelle Baguley has launched a sexual harassment claim after working in the sport for nine years at Queensland Rugby League.
Ms Baguley has been on stress leave for the past six months after claiming her boss, sponsorship manager Troy Morton, harassed her in the workplace.
“He doesn’t look at you in your face,” Ms Baguley told 7 News. “He looks straight at your breasts," she alleged.
“It’s really uncomfortable for somebody to sit there and try and look at somebody while they’re looking at your breasts and they’re also thrusting their hips as well.”
Ms Baguley described officials as a “bunch of hypocrites” after they preached equality across the sport.
“I was getting anxiety. The closer I would drive to work, my hands started to shake, my heart would pump harder,” she said.
QRL boss Rob Moore first made aware of Ms Baguley’s claims in June last year after the mum-to-be penned a five-page letter.
It was in that letter Ms Baguley alleged: “I no longer feel safe in his presence and feel physically sick every time he asks me to come into his office”.
The NRL said it was only made aware of the case on Tuesday and is now investigating.
When questioned by 7 News, Mr Morton said he had “no comment” about the allegations.
WorkCover ordered an independent investigation into the matter and approved Ms Baguley’s sexual harassment claim.
“I’ve still had to re-live it for the past seven months. I’ve been seeing psychiatrists, psychologists,” Ms Baguley said.
The QRL failed to respond to questions from 7 News.
