Green party harassment probe clears May: party
OTTAWA — An independent investigation has cleared federal Green party leader Elizabeth May over allegations of workplace harassment, the party said Thursday. It said the third-party investigator found the accusations against the leader to be without merit.
The probe by lawyer Sheila Block, a partner with Toronto law firm Torys LLP, began in January after three former party employees accused May of bullying. They said May yelled at and insulted employees and created a hostile work environment.
May vehemently denied the allegations at the time insisting she’s “not a bully.”
“I am consistently opposed to bullying,” May said after the accusations were revealed.
Rob Rainer, one of the accusers, was interim director of the party for seven months in 2014. He said there were four or five instances where he was verbally abused or harassed by May, including being “disparaged” by her in front of colleagues. He came forward because he heard other staffers were being bullied.
The party defended May saying she was being held to a different standard than male leaders.
Block’s team interviewed two of the complainants, and May. They determined Rainer and
May did not like each other or work well together. Block’s team found seven of Rainer’s complaints did not constitute workplace harassment and the others fell outside their mandate.
Vanessa Brustolin said she did not participate in the probe: “The Green Party of Canada would never have commissioned a report, which would have been unfavourable to Elizabeth May. The Green Party of Canada is Elizabeth May,” she stated.
Diana Nunes did not cite specific allegations and instead raised concerns about May’s treatment of others.
The party says the report is done and will remain confidential because it identifies individuals not party to the complaints.