Sensitivity training ordered for county councillor
‘Inappropriate comment’ made during staff Christmas party
TRURO, N.S. – A Colchester County councillor has been directed to undergo respectful workplace training following what was deemed an inappropriate comment of a sexualized nature, made to a female staff member during the municipality’s Christmas party.
District 9 Councillor Bob Pash must also take training on the importance of confidentiality in the course of an investigation no later than March 31.
The direction came following a third-party investigation prompted by a formal harassment complaint lodged with the county by the unnamed employee after the Christmas party in early December.
Speaking to the Truro News just after Christmas, Pash, 72, said his comment wasn’t intended in a derogatory manner. In his younger days, he added, it would have been “taken as a compliment,” as opposed to how such things are accepted today.
Pash said the comment came as party participants were standing in the food line.
“She was beside me in line and I told her, I said ‘you go ahead of me, the view from back here is every bit as good as it is from the front.’ Now is that a sexual statement?
“It could be conceived as that, yeah,” he acknowledged after a moment’s consideration. “But she also can’t read my mind as to what I was thinking either.”
Council ruled on the matter during an in-camera session Thursday night and announced its decision in a late-afternoon news release Friday.
The municipality said in the release that it took the complaint seriously and moved immediately to retain independent investigator Rebekah Powell to look into the matter.
“In the course of the investigation, and in the absence of a Code of Conduct, reference was made to the Municipality’s Respectful Workplace Policy, the law on harassment and sexual harassment as well as provisions of the Human Rights Act,” the release states.
Key findings presented by the investigator include that “Pash did make an inappropriate comment of a sexualized nature” to the employee at a municipality-organized social event.
The investigator determined that as an isolated comment, the statement “did not constitute harassment or sexual harassment” but a repeated course of conduct of similar statements could be considered harassment or sexual harassment.
Powell also determined the breach of confidentiality of the complaint and Pash’s public comments during the investigation “is a significant concern as it serves a possible deterrent to legitimate complaints being made in the future.”
Although council did not have a Code of Conduct in place at the time the comment was made, it has since completed one, which was also officially adopted Thursday night.
Mayor Christine Blair said Friday she could not provide further comment on the matter, aside from what was included with the subsequent press release.
In speaking about the matter after Christmas, Pash expressed regret at the way things had developed. He said he wished the woman had mentioned her concerns to him at the time.
“She should have said something to me right then and I would have apologized and told her it wasn’t meant that way,” he said. “I can tell you right now, there will be no more inappropriate comments because I’m scared to open my mouth right now.”
Pash said Friday he has no intention of pursuing the matter further and is fully prepared to take the training as directed by council.
“I guess we all learn something and it’s my turn,” he said.