Harassment probe tab comes in at $81,000
Coun. Lou Sekora says cost of private investigation into workplace allegations is ridiculous; mayor tight-lipped
Coquitlam paid $81,000 for a private investigation into allegations of workplace harassment at a community centre.
The amount of the bill was revealed on Thursday as a result of a successful Freedom of Information request by The Province that took six months.
“The total amount spent on outside legal counsel was $81,021,” said privacy services manager Lauren Hewson in a letter.
Questions were immediately asked about the size of the tab — roughly the equivalent of a fulltime salary for a year — and what resulted from the findings.
Coquitlam Coun. Lou Sekora estimates the independent investigator — Vancouver lawyer Anita Braha — charged more than $200 per hour.
“Spending $81,000 is ridiculous. It is an open-ended kind of deal to where the sky’s the limit. There’s no cap on it,” Sekora said.
The case came to light in January when an anonymous letter was sent to The Province and Coquitlam councillors.
Few details are known except that the complaint involved unionized civic employees at the Pinetree Community Centre.
Taxpayers advocate Jordan Bateman said ratepayers deserve to know what happened.
“The taxpayers don’t need to know personal details, but they need to know the nature of the complaint and how many employees were involved,” said Bateman, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
“This isn’t just about Coquitlam, it’s about community centres around the province. Could it happen elsewhere? What safeguards have been put in place?” he said.
Bateman said these types of investigations should have “very firm” terms of reference so costs don’t spiral out of control.
“If this was a road paving project, it would be reduced in size if it didn’t meet the budget,” he said. Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart was tight-lipped.
During a short interview with The Province, he refused to release any information.
“I can’t say more because we try to protect our employees and their confidentiality,” he said.
“I’m well aware of the extent of the examination which took place and I’m quite comfortable with the deliberations,” Stewart said.
Ken Landgraff, president of CUPE local 386, said the matter is being contested by the union.
“It is an ongoing grievance,” he said.