Bell Media could lose its bid to have former television personality Patricia Jaggernauth’s human rights case thrown out, after a Canadian Human Rights Commission report noting her complaint raises “serious human rights issues that are systemic in nature.”

In a confidential report seen by CBC News, the commission said it found “reasonable basis” to support that the allegations of pay disparity and racial discrimination made by the once-familiar face on CP24 may be linked to sex, race, colour or other prohibited grounds of discrimination.

“The complaint raises serious human rights issues that are systemic in nature, involve significant power asymmetries and potentially long-lasting harms, disproportionately affect a historically disadvantaged group,” it says, adding there is a “strong public interest” aspect to Jaggernauth’s case.

The report recommends the case be referred to the human rights tribunal if it cannot be settled within four months. It will now be up to the commissioner to decide whether to take up the recommendation.