When Canada香蕉视频直播檚 spy chief wrote a secret letter to the public safety minister last December 香蕉视频直播� the week after a report emerged that two young women in the service had been sexually assaulted by a senior colleague 香蕉视频直播� it came with a warning.
David Vigneault, then director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told Dominic LeBlanc that he expected 香蕉视频直播渕ore cases to surface in the coming weeks,香蕉视频直播� and that he had to be 香蕉视频直播渢ransparent香蕉视频直播� about this with the minister
香蕉视频直播�(We) will continue to make the difficult decisions required to make a safe workplace,香蕉视频直播� he wrote, saying that the report by The Canadian Press had left staff 香蕉视频直播渞eeling.香蕉视频直播�
Vigneault, who stepped down in July, had reason to be concerned.
In the days after the report was published, Vigneault香蕉视频直播檚 staff compiled tables for him showing there had been 49 alleged 香蕉视频直播渙ccurrences香蕉视频直播� of workplace harassment and violence at CSIS since 2021.
Only eight of these were deemed to have been 香蕉视频直播渇ounded.香蕉视频直播�
The Dec. 9 letter to LeBlanc, stamped 香蕉视频直播渟ecret,香蕉视频直播� and the tables in a Dec. 4 email were among documents provided to The Canadian Press in response to an access-to-information request.
The documents show how Vigneault and his staff responded to The Canadian Press report published on Nov. 30, in which CSIS officers made allegations of rape, bullying and harassment in the service香蕉视频直播檚 B.C. physical surveillance office.
The statistics about workplace sexual harassment and violence were compiled as part of Vigneault香蕉视频直播檚 preparations for an all-staff town hall meeting about the allegations on Dec. 5.
The tables and an explanation provided by CSIS show that 20 of the 49 香蕉视频直播渙ccurrences香蕉视频直播� since 2021/2022 were ongoing cases. Of the 29 that were 香蕉视频直播渞esolved,香蕉视频直播� three were withdrawn, while two ended in conciliation, six through an investigation and none through negotiation.
Eighteen, meanwhile, were resolved through the implementation of recommendations reviewed by an occupational health and safety committee.
The numbers were not announced to the 3,000-plus staff who attended the town hall meeting in person and virtually.
But in May, CSIS released an annual public report that said there were 24 ongoing harassment investigations in 2023, depicting this as a sign of success.
香蕉视频直播�(A)lthough some would use this metric to criticize CSIS, we believe it is indicative of the advancements we have made to improve our workplace culture, as more employees are now placing their faith and confidence in CSIS香蕉视频直播� internal grievance process,香蕉视频直播� wrote Ren茅e de Bellefeuille, the service香蕉视频直播檚 chief human resources officer.
That report did not describe how frequently cases were resolved to the satisfaction of complainants.
CSIS spokesperson Eric Balsam said in an emailed statement that some complaints took longer than normal to complete.
香蕉视频直播淥n occasion, a notice of occurrence may take longer to resolve given other mitigating circumstances that may have an impact on the process,香蕉视频直播� Balsam said. 香蕉视频直播淔or example, the temporary absence of either party, or availability of investigators.香蕉视频直播�
Several employees were suspended between 2020 and 2024 and two were terminated, but Balsam said CSIS is 香蕉视频直播渘ot in a position to reveal the nature of the conduct for which the employees were suspended and/or terminated because providing details for such a small number of files could breach privacy obligations.香蕉视频直播�
Balsam added that the service has 香蕉视频直播渟een a higher number of grievances, complaints and conduct cases since the beginning of 2024.香蕉视频直播�
The tables list four occurrences as sexual harassment and violence and 45 cases as non-sexual.
In the December town hall meeting, Vigneault told staff the senior officer accused of rape had left the service the day before.
The man香蕉视频直播檚 accusers have said he abused them in CSIS vehicles while on covert missions, in one case losing sight of a surveillance target because he allegedly drove to a car park to rape his CSIS partner.
The officers said they could not go to police because they feared breaching the CSIS Act by identifying themselves and their alleged attacker as covert officers, an offence with a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Vigneault香蕉视频直播檚 letter to LeBlanc says he told staff there existed an 香蕉视频直播渁uthority and process to report a crime to the police.香蕉视频直播�
A former CSIS employee who worked in a supervisory capacity in Ontario said her harassment complaint against a high-level managerwas among those that remain outstanding.
She said she also filed a complaint on behalf of another employee as a witness but has not been contacted in the two years since it was submitted to CSIS.
The former supervisor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the CSIS Act香蕉视频直播檚 prohibition against identification, has since left the agency.
She said in an interview that the behaviour of the new senior manager prompted the group to 香蕉视频直播渃ome to me with concerns.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭hen people started coming with more formalized complaints,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 had to tell people that either you have to report something or I have to report something.香蕉视频直播�
She said the manager was 香蕉视频直播渉ighly problematic,香蕉视频直播� gossiping about employees, revealing highly personal information and 香蕉视频直播渕aligning香蕉视频直播� peoples香蕉视频直播� character behind their backs.
The former supervisor said she knew formalizing complaints against someone well-connected in the service would be like signing her own 香蕉视频直播渃areer death warrant.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 in a position where I have to say something and in saying something, I香蕉视频直播檓 probably not going to be believed,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淣o one was going to want to touch me after that.香蕉视频直播�
She said that since filing the complaint in 2022, she had left the service for an unrelated job.
香蕉视频直播淚t was making me sick,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 couldn香蕉视频直播檛 bear the weight of it anymore and I thought I had nowhere else to go.香蕉视频直播�
She said she believed the complaint process had 香蕉视频直播渦tterly stalled,香蕉视频直播� and she had not received updates as required. This could be due to the 香蕉视频直播渟low machinery of government,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播楶ROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOUR香蕉视频直播� IN CSIS OFFICE
The documents obtained by The Canadian Press also show how CSIS responded to the turmoil in the B.C. surveillance office.
In addition to the two officers who said they were sexually assaulted, two other officers supported their claims and said bullying and harassment were rife in the office.
The documents show the service commissioned a 香蕉视频直播渨orkplace climate assessment香蕉视频直播� for the office last year. A Nov. 22 letter from B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 assistant director general 香蕉视频直播� whose name is redacted 香蕉视频直播� says the assessment followed allegations of 香蕉视频直播減roblematic behaviour with respect to inappropriate conduct, harassment, leadership issues etc., that has resulted in a perceived toxic work environment.香蕉视频直播�
But the assessment did not look at the complaints of sexual assault and other wrongdoing made by the two women officers against their senior colleague, who was decades older than them, the documents show.
The assessment香蕉视频直播檚 terms of reference say the process focused instead on the 香蕉视频直播渃urrent work environment,香蕉视频直播� and it would 香蕉视频直播渘ot consider information from employees that was previously provided under a separate formal process.香蕉视频直播�
A redacted copy of the assessment dated Jan. 22 said staff indicated 香蕉视频直播渁 workplace culture that is perceived as fairly positive (with some definite exceptions).香蕉视频直播�
The unit香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渕ain shortcomings香蕉视频直播� involved the handling of complaints, 香蕉视频直播渆specially those related to inappropriate conduct like disrespect, bullying, harassment etc.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭here is a general sense that accountability is significantly lacking and that the enforcement of policies and procedures is often weak,香蕉视频直播� the assessors wrote.
The assessment found the unit was understaffed and there had been 香蕉视频直播渁 relatively high turnover recently, especially with respect to female members leaving the unit,香蕉视频直播� causing a 香蕉视频直播渄istinct gender imbalance.香蕉视频直播�
It said the workplace was 香蕉视频直播渕ale dominated香蕉视频直播� and there was an 香蕉视频直播渋ntergenerational divide香蕉视频直播� between staff.
However, the assessment said staff 香蕉视频直播渟trongly disagreed香蕉视频直播� the workplace was 香蕉视频直播渢oxic,香蕉视频直播� but there was a 香蕉视频直播減erceived lack of leadership香蕉视频直播� which contributed to 香蕉视频直播渉ighly ineffective conflict and complaint handling approaches.香蕉视频直播�
The two B.C. officers who said they were sexually assaulted lodged anonymous lawsuits in B.C. Supreme Court.
One was dismissed last September on technical grounds that the officer had not exhausted the internal CSIS complaints process, which was 香蕉视频直播渙ngoing.香蕉视频直播� She said this week that she had 香蕉视频直播渘ever been told (by CSIS) that it was still an ongoing investigation at any point.香蕉视频直播�
The officer said previously that a report for CSIS with a protected security classification had concluded her rape complaint was unfounded on the balance of probabilities.
The court file for the other officer has been inactive since it was filed in June 2023, with no public response filed by CSIS. Her accusations were investigated by CSIS as part of the other woman香蕉视频直播檚 complaint.
Matt Malone, an assistant law professor at Thompson Rivers University who specializes in workplace investigations, reviewed the workplace assessment, and said its language suggested 香蕉视频直播渟ystem-wide problems with leadership香蕉视频直播� in the unit.
香蕉视频直播淭his is very much a situation of where there香蕉视频直播檚 smoke, there香蕉视频直播檚 fire,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭his workplace assessment is indicative of deeper rooted problems in the service, and you can see that there is an admission that most parties disagreed with the characterization of 香蕉视频直播榯oxic work environment,香蕉视频直播� but there香蕉视频直播檚 very uniform and very consistent discussion around the shortcomings of leadership.香蕉视频直播�
Vigneault announced on July 4 that he was retiring from the service after seven years at the helm.
The former Ontario CSIS supervisor said she lodged her complaint in 2022 out of a 香蕉视频直播渟trong sense of duty and responsibility,香蕉视频直播� hoping to trigger not only a change in the individual, but also 香蕉视频直播渂igger change within the organization around leadership.香蕉视频直播�
Almost two years later, she said she had little faith such top-down change would happen.
香蕉视频直播淵ou can barely remember what you had for breakfast yesterday. Who香蕉视频直播檚 going to remember what was said or not said in a meeting once upon a time?香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淚nvestigations are still ongoing, but when you have five or six complaints filed against one manager all in under a year and you continue to promote that person and give them incredible, incredible career opportunities, I don香蕉视频直播檛 actually think the organization has been ready to accept responsibility.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭he leadership were born and raised in that same organization. They don香蕉视频直播檛 know anything different,香蕉视频直播� she added. 香蕉视频直播淗ow do you change that? I don香蕉视频直播檛 know.香蕉视频直播�
