De Ceglie, who replaced Craig McPherson five weeks ago, recently told staff he was taking a “zero tolerance” approach to bad behaviour in the newsroom after a number of senior male employees, including McPherson, departed Seven amid the Bruce Lehrmann Spotlight scandal.

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Spotlight’s efforts to secure an interview with Lehrmann came under intense scrutiny after the Federal Court was told company expenses had been spent on sex workers and drugs, alongside lavish meals, golf trips and a year’s worth of accommodation.

Lehrmann was later found to a civil standard by Justice Michael Lee to have raped Brittany Higgins. He is appealing against the decision.

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter said Ovadia had engaged employment lawyer John Laxon. Laxon declined to comment.

It is the latest in a string of reports of allegations of behavioural misconduct by senior men in the media industry. Nine, publisher of this masthead, has been embroiled in weeks of scandal following reports from The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Sydney Morning Herald and Sky News about former Nine News director Darren Wick, who was accused of drunken, lecherous behaviour.

This masthead reported that women alleged Wick had brazenly groped them, in public view of their colleagues, for years. One female former staff member said Wick’s “alcohol-fuelled grope sessions” had occurred at public Christmas parties.

Separate to the misconduct allegations involving women, on Thursday night, Nine Entertainment chairman and former federal treasurer Peter Costello allegedly pushed over a reporter from The Australian. Footage of the incident was published on the News Corp outlet’s website. Costello disputes the claim.

He and a Nine spokeswoman said the journalist tripped over an advertising board.

A second Seven staffer, Andrew Frampton, will depart after being told he was not part of the plans of the newsroom, a source with direct knowledge of the decision said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Frampton is not accused of any misconduct of any kind.

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