Thunder Bay, Ont., police board member files new complaint alleging racism, attempts to oust her

A member of the Thunder Bay Police Companies Board introduced Monday she’s taking a month’s depart of absence and has filed her third Ontario human rights grievance since October.

The grievance, by former board chair Georjann Morriseau, consists of additional allegations of racism and reprisal.

Morriseau advised CBC Information she’s taking the month’s depart of absence as a result of ongoing points she’s having with the police board, to focus on the continuing courtroom proceedings and her fast household wants. 

Morriseau is in search of $50,000 in compensation from each present board chair Kristen Oliver and secretary John Hannam, in addition to $100,000 from one another respondent, together with the Metropolis of Thunder Bay, the board and the general public relations agency KPW Communications.

Morriseau’s lawyer, Chantelle Bryson, claims the influence that escalating occasions courting again to 2020 have had on her shopper has been “past description,” together with an emotional toll that has resulted in financial losses and reputational hurt.

“They’re doing these items in knowingly unhealthy religion, with out authorized authority, and it is one factor after one other,” Bryson stated.

Morriseau, former chief of Fort William First Nation, an Ojibway First Nation, filed her first grievance final fall based mostly on the police service’s response to an August 2020 incident, when she was approached by a person claiming to be an officer who had proof of one other officer probably leaking data.

Morriseau alleges she subsequently turned the topic of an Ontario Provincial Police investigation that finally cleared her of any wrongdoing.

Not one of the claims in Morriseau’s earlier Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) complaints or these of 9 officers and two civilian staff have but been examined in courtroom.

Board ‘open’ to working with Morriseau: chair 

The newest grievance alleges board members and their secretary have been illegally trying to take away Morriseau since October, barring her from attending digital information conferences, intentionally damaging her popularity, taking strategic actions with out board approval, and refusing so as to add Morriseau’s objects (together with her issues for her personal security) to assembly agendas.

“The board and the Metropolis of Thunder Bay haven’t met with [Morriseau] to deal with her issues, they have not referred to as for an investigation of those critical issues,” Bryson stated. “What they’ve accomplished as an alternative is to perpetually assault her in each single board assembly alleging wrongdoing on her behalf, which is totally illegitimate and false.”

In response to the grievance, KPW issued a written assertion on behalf of Oliver to CBC Information on Monday.

“We stay open to working with member Morriseau collaboratively to concentrate on the vital work of reworking the police service and rebuilding belief with the group,” Oliver’s assertion learn. 

Bryson claimed board members and their secretary have publicly inferred, with out proof, that Morriseau leaked privileged data to the Globe and Mail.

An integrity commissioner issued a report back to the board in February that discovered two Globe and Mail articles “counsel {that a} member of the board has breached the board’s confidentiality,” and that if a grievance had been filed and an investigation carried out, it might result in “a advice for the severest of accessible penalties.” 

That report implicates no board member by identify and Rules Integrity, the agency appearing because the board’s integrity commissioner, did not contact Morriseau in its investigation. Bryson alleged the inference quantities to “a retaliatory sham” in opposition to her shopper.

The grievance says Oliver and Hannam employed KPW with out board approval, and the general public relations agency proceeded to prepare members of an advisory panel with out the board’s enter. KPW then launched its plan to the media, together with a listing of panel members, previous to board approval, it says.

That panel, which the board authorised at its March assembly, will consider the implementation of suggestions arising from two 2018 studies that discovered systemic racism within the Thunder Bay Police Service and oversight failure on behalf of the board.

Morriseau alleged on-line moderators blocked her from attending a information convention Oliver held earlier this month to reply to a brand new report on 9 Indigenous deaths that was beneficial within the Broken Trust report.

The new report discovered Thunder Bay police did not safe scenes, interview witnesses or observe up with potential suspects, and left their households with out closure. It additionally referred to as for extra Indigenous loss of life circumstances to be reinvestigated.

In keeping with the KPW assertion, that March information convention was run by police board employees, and “at no level was member Morriseau blocked from collaborating.”

The systemic racism beforehand documented within the police service’s tradition is similar tradition that’s pushing again in opposition to its Indigenous board member’s requires change, Bryson claims, referring to  Morriseau.

Exterior probes underway

Two extra investigations into native police have begun, however Bryson is rising involved that one course of is likely to be turning in opposition to Morriseau, who issued the grievance that launched it.

Solicitor Normal Sylvia Jones requested the Ontario Civilian Police Fee (OCPC) to research Thunder Bay police Chief Sylvie Hauth, now-suspended Deputy Chief Ryan Hughes, and their lawyer Holly Walbourne, in response to their December correspondence with Morriseau.

Whereas an OPP investigation continues, Bryson claims OCPC investigators have not requested interviews with any of her purchasers which can be associated to over 20 complaints they’ve filed in opposition to a senior officer.

Correspondence between Bryson and exterior investigative lead Ian Scott exhibits the OCPC is now requesting an interview with Morriseau, however is unwilling to share phrases of reference that might disclose whether or not Morriseau is suspected of wrongdoing.

Morriseau was sick with COVID-19 final week when her interview was to have taken place. Bryson is advising her to not do the assembly till the OCPC can verify what position she’s taking part in in its investigation. 

“We’re undecided what to make of it at this level, nevertheless it definitely smells loads like gross political interference to maintain everybody in place and to look to deflect blame onto the complainants and, particularly, board member Morriseau,” Bryson stated.