The Vancouver Police Division’s longest-serving sergeant faces demotion and a 20-day suspension after admitting to sending unwelcome, sexualized messages to 5 separate ladies in a sample authorities say highlights the problem of sexual harassment on the VPD.
Counsel for the Workplace of the Police Complaints Commissioner known as on the VPD Wednesday to undertake standalone sexual harassment coaching as a part of a deal to resolve misconduct allegations towards Sgt. Keiron McConnell involving two fellow cops and three college college students.
“Sexual harassment is essentially opposite to the excessive moral requirements anticipated of all cops, particularly senior officers having supervisory obligations,” Brian Smith advised the retired choose overseeing a public listening to into the allegations.
“Considerations about sexual harassment and poisonous cultures in police workplaces are widespread within the public area.”
Victims say they felt ‘degraded’ and anxious
Wednesday’s proceedings happened in a small courtroom on the twentieth flooring of a tower on the Metrotown buildings in Burnaby usually reserved for coroners’ inquests.
Former provincial court docket chief choose Carol Baird Ellan sat along with her again to an expansive view of the North Shore as greater than two dozen spectators — most of them cops — crammed into the general public gallery with many left standing.
McConnell — who first joined the VPD reserves in 1988 — sat beside considered one of his two feminine attorneys wearing a swimsuit and tie. The 56-year-old has been suspended with out pay since final July — a measure his lawyer claimed has value him $112,000 as of final week.
Marilyn Sandford, counsel for the general public listening to, opened the listening to by studying from an agreed assertion of info entered as a part of a deal McConnell reached by which he admitted to discreditable conduct associated to 5 of seven ladies who levelled allegations towards him.
Promoted to sergeant in 2004, McConnell grew to become a part of the management of the VPD’s gang squad and labored on among the Decrease Mainland’s highest-profile murders and drug instances in his years on the pressure.
The 56-year-old additionally holds a doctorate and has taught at many universities in British Columbia. The complaints concern incidents that happened between 2015 and 2019.
In keeping with the agreed assertion of info, the 2 feminine officers labored below McConnell when he was one of many leaders of the gang squad and despatched them undesirable sexual messages.
“The content material included sexual remarks about her underwear, her sexual preferences and his sexual fantasies,” the assertion reads in relation to one of many officers.
“[McConnell’s comments caused [her] to really feel degraded, and she or he suffered anxiousness in consequence. She was involved about elevating the problem with him due to his place within the VPD.”
Feedback ‘unsolicited and unwelcome’
Comparable issues had been echoed by the grownup college students focused by McConnell — two of whom had taken programs with him previous to the incidents that led to complaints.
McConnell invited one of many younger ladies to a social gathering at a pub the place they watched the U.S. election ends in 2016. The police officer despatched her texts asking what color underwear she was sporting and later tried to kiss her after they climbed right into a taxi collectively.
“She deflected him and acquired out of the taxi,” the agreed assertion of info reads.
McConnell known as her the subsequent day to apologize, however she did not reply.
One other of the scholars stated she did not report messages containing sexual content material and innuendo as a result of she was involved it’d have an effect on her future profession choices if she utilized to the VPD.
The third pupil — who had requested McConnell to behave as her honours supervisor — stated he despatched “unsolicited and unwelcome” feedback about her bodily attractiveness.
“On the time of the exchanges, [the student] aspired to turn out to be a police officer,” the assertion of info reads.
“[Her] expertise with [McConnell] was one consider her choice to not pursue a profession in policing.”
Sandford stated McConnell has accepted duty for all 5 incidents, acknowledging his obligations as an individual in authority. He has additionally supplied apologies to all 5 ladies.
‘He was unaware of the dynamics at play’
If Baird Ellan accepts the joint proposal, McConnell will probably be demoted from sergeant to first-class constable for the subsequent 12 months and suspended for pay with out pay for 20 days. He’ll even be forbidden from working as a supervisor.
One of many ladies seated within the entrance row of the listening to shook her head as Sandford outlined the phrases of the deal.
In his submissions, Smith famous that the VPD consists of consciousness round sexual harassment constructed into coaching on sustaining a respectful office — programs McConnell has taken a number of instances as each a member and a supervisor.
Smith stated almost half the instances the choose was being requested to think about as precedent for penalties associated to sexual harassment concerned the division.
The proposed decision features a name for the VPD and the police board to incorporate a separate course on sexual harassment as a part of coaching for each officers and civilian workers of the division.
In her submission to the listening to, McConnell’s lawyer — Cait Fleck — stated the veteran officer suffers from post-traumatic stress dysfunction because of the numerous horrific issues he has seen over the course of three many years in policing.
She stated it is also vital to think about context.
“Sergeant McConnell accepts that he was unaware of the dynamics at play,” stated Fleck, who famous that her shopper had apologized to one of many feminine officers when she raised the problem with him on the time.
Fleck stated not one of the different ladies “instantly or expressly advised him that feedback bothered them.”
“We are able to perceive now why they did that,” she stated. “However the corollary is that may be complicated for the particular person participating in these discussions.”
Baird Ellan has reserved her choice till after Could 6.
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