BUS272 TB

Additional Cases 523
sexual harassment, decided she had had enough. She used
the media to give her voice weight and expose the extent and
severity of the harassment experienced by many of the 2613
female RCMP officers, a small minority in a force of 22 000. It
was not long before other women, inspired by Galliford, also
came forward to tell their stories, resulting in the beginnings of
a class action lawsuit against the RCMP for its failure to address
widespread gender-based harassment and bullying. RCMP
leadership has little reason to be surprised. An internal study
conducted in 1996 found that 6 out of 10 female Mounties had
been sexually harassed at work and that more than 10 percent
reported unwanted touching by male colleagues.
Unfortunately, that same leadership has done a very poor
job of responding to complaints or addressing the cultural
issues that underlie them. Questioned after Galliford had gone
public, Krista Carle, one of the four Calgary RCMP officers who
filed a complaint against Blundell, said the following about her
formal complaint: “there was an internal review and nothing
came of it. There was a memo that went out to colleagues and
staff about how there was an incident with someone placing
inappropriate material on someone’s desk. Everyone knew
it was me, so it was almost like I got blamed for getting the
guys in trouble. And they never found out who put the porn
on my desk.” 10 Carle was discharged from the RCMP with
post-traumatic stress disorder that she attributes to 19 years of
unremitting sexual harassment and general bullying.
Paul Champ, a lawyer who has been involved in RCMP cases,
says that “the process often takes years because the RCMP often
does not treat complaints as a priority. . . . Most complaints are
dismissed out of hand or dismissed with no remedy offered to
the complainant other than ‘we talked to him about it.’” 11
Recognition of the scope of the problem led Bob Paulson,
the new RCMP Commissioner, to make an unprecedented
formal statement acknowledging that the continued existence
of the force itself was at risk. He needed to “clear-cut
problems that have taken root deeply. Too many Mounties
believe their authority entitles them to misuse power. . . . The
Mounties are one or two more earth-shattering heartbreaks
away from losing all credibility. I tell you, one day there is
going to be the removal of the Stetson (the RCMP’s emblematic
hat and symbol of the force) if we don’t get this right.” 12
Steps have been taken. An external labour relations expert
was retained to review the RCMP’s existing harassment policy, and
a new code of conduct was introduced in April 2014. 13 Some are
skeptical that these efforts will help to change a long entrenched
culture. Officer Elisabeth Couture believes that “management
at the local level routinely turns a blind eye to harassment as it’s
occurring. You can have all the staff workshops on the issue that
you want, but unless detachment supervisors deal with incidents
in a forceful and unequivocal manner it won’t matter.” 14
The RCMP’s female officers who have experienced harassment,
both past and present, are not waiting around to see if
these efforts to effect change within the RCMP will be successful.
By July 2014, a class action lawsuit was launched by over
330 women. 15 Lawyer Alexander Zaitzeff, who is representing
Janet Merlo, reports that “the stories are consistent. The stories
are common in terms of harassment, bullying, and oftentimes,
sexual issues. The calls are sad, hugely sad. The stories are terrible.
Many serving members are unable to work because they are
petrified in light of their experiences.” 16 Lawyers are also quick to
point out the impact that these gender-biased attitudes may have
on perceived injustice in the broader community. For instance,
a lack of perceived sensitivity may inhibit female members of
the public from reporting sexual assaults or stalking incidents.
With the class action lawsuit proceeding, the RCMP leadership
will need to carefully consider how to restore its reputation and
credibility among both female staff and the broader community.
Discussion Questions
1. What aspects of the organizational culture in the RCMP
may have contributed to its problems with widespread
sexual harassment allegations?
2. Do the alleged claims of sexual harassment point to a
leadership problem? Why or why not?
3. Devise a plan to manage a culture change at the RCMP.
What resistance might you encounter and how could
you overcome it?
Case 6: Disability Accommodations and
Promotions at Bunco
L e a r n i n g G o a l s
In this case, you will have to decide whether to promote an
employee who has a disability. You will need to consider
whether the particular disability presents a legally and morally
defensible reason against promotion to a management role.
If you choose to promote the employee, what can you do to
help ensure his success? If you do not promote him, how can
you explain and justify your decision, while helping the person
to maintain positive work attitudes?