RCMP faces $1.1B Lawsuit over Bullying Claims

Cites ‘culture of bullying and harassment’

A proposed class-action lawsuit seeking a whopping $1.1 billion in damages from the RCMP says the leaders of Canada’s national police force failed to address a culture of workplace bullying and instead allowed a toxic work environment to fester “characterized by abuse of power and fear of reprisal.” Filed Friday in Federal Court, the proposed classaction is open to all past and present employees, including civilians, volunteers and students, with grievances that weren’t addressed in earlier litigation. In 2016, the federal government announced it had earmarked $100 million to settle two class-action lawsuits by female members who alleged they were discriminated against based on gender or sexual orientation; it resulted in over 3,100 claims. The current proposed class-action, which has yet to be certified, could be unprecedented in its scope — encompassing tens of thousands of men and women who serve or previously served on the force.

“We heard stories over and over of a culture of bullying and harassment and members saying, ‘What about me?’” said Toronto lawyer Megan McPhee, who is representing the plaintiffs. A spokesman for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Monday in a statement that harassment “cannot be a part of the modern workplace Canadians expect in the RCMP.” When Commissioner Brenda Lucki, the first woman to lead the RCMP in a permanent capacity, was appointed earlier this year, her mandate letter made clear that she was “expected to lead the force through a period of transformation that will modernize and reform its culture and its management practices,” the statement said.