An independent third-party investigator has found that an employee of the Sarnia Police Service was not harassed and was not a victim of workplace violence.
In a statement released Tuesday, Chief Norm Hansen said Helen Daniel, a highly respected and experienced lawyer and investigator, started an investigation in September 2020 into an employee complaint filed in the spring of last year. The investigator was hired to look impartially into allegations of workplace harassment, discrimination, and violence.
Chief Hansen said Daniel concluded the employee was not harassed, nor experienced workplace violence, and there was no evidence that any statement or actions were made that could reasonably be interpreted as a threat to exercise physical violence.
The statement also indicated, however, that the investigator found evidence of a toxic workplace due to widespread gossip.
"The findings of the investigation did outline that the workplace has become toxic from the pervasive gossip engaged in by officer and civilian employees throughout the SPS, and the employee and others have been subjects of that gossip. While such gossip is a course of conduct that one ought to know is unwelcome and can amount to harassment, this behaviour could not be attributed solely to any one person," the statement read.
The third-party report provides recommendations to assist in curbing the gossip and addressing other challenges in the workplace. Conclusions and recommendations have been presented to the Sarnia Police Services Board, and Chief Hansen is to answer questions, virtually, from the media Wednesday afternoon.
Demonstrators gather at Sarnia police headquarters Oct. 24, 2020 in support of female officer (BlackburnNews.com photo by Dave Dentinger)
Sarnia police are not at liberty to identify the complainant but a demonstration was held in late October at police headquarters on Christina Street in support of 22-year veteran officer Jaime McCabe-Wyville.
The full statement from the police chief can be viewed here.