BROKEN DREAMS, BROKEN LIVES The Devastating Effects of Sexual Harassment On Women in the RCMP’ The Honourable Michel Bastarache, C.C. Q.C
Reading the report by The Hon. Michel Bastarache, The Hon. Lynn Smith, The Hon. Marion Allan ‘Broken Dreams Broken Lives’ has been emotionally challenging, triggering and personally painful. Painful on so many levels and the years of suffering experienced by hundreds of women. He offered recommendations for changes in the RCMP. This is one of many reports over the years and hopefully, this is the one that gets leadership moving in a positive direction.
THE CULTURE OF THE RCMP IS TOXIC
The RCMP is a hierarchical para-military police organization with responsibilities in the areas of federal enforcement, forensic support, protective duties and is also responsible for the day-to-day local policing in a number of provinces. The stated values of the RCMP are Honesty, Integrity, Professionalism, Compassion, Accountability and Respect. However, the accounts that were submitted by claimants in the Merlo Davidson claims process demonstrated repeatedly how those values were undermined by the RCMP’s toxic culture which tolerates misogyny and homophobia by its members and its leaders.
While acknowledging that the Assessors met only with those who had experienced serious forms of sexual harassment and discrimination based on their gender or sexual orientation, the accounts were consistent from decade to decade. The level of violence and sexual assault that was reported was shocking. Indeed, over 130 claimants disclosed penetrative sexual assaults. Other claimants described a sexualized environment in RCMP workplaces. This was characterized by the frequent use of swear words and highly degrading expressions that reference women’s bodies, sexual jokes, innuendos, discriminatory comments with respect to the abilities of women, and unwelcome sexual touching. Of particular concern in the context of policing was the denial, or the threat of the denial, of backup. Similarly, women who identified as LGBTQ2S+ were also subjected to ostracization, pejorative comments, sexual assaults and being outed without their consent.
It is impossible to fully convey the depth of the pain that the Assessors witnessed in the 644 interviews that were conducted and 3,086 claims that were assessed. What the women told the Assessors shocked them to their core. This process has forever tarnished the image of the RCMP as a Canadian icon. Bright, well-educated women said that they joined the RCMP seeking to help others, sometimes because they themselves had needed help as a young person. They told the Assessors of the brutal treatment they experienced which ground them down, broke their confidence, and shattered their trust in their fellow officers. The full tragedy and suffering of what the RCMP’s failure to provide a safe workplace has done to these women is overwhelming.
Many women that the Assessors interviewed had been diagnosed with serious psychological injuries including Major Depressive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, panic attacks and substance dependence. Claimants also reported a lack of trust in the RCMP, a lack of trust in men, feelings of isolation, withdrawal from social activities, friendships and sexual relations, humiliation, lack of self-esteem and lack of confidence. Many women experienced eating disorders, alcohol abuse, panic attacks, vomiting on the way to work, inability to maintain a positive relationship with their spouse and children. Some reported intentionally injuring themselves repeatedly. Self-blame is common, even after blatant sexual assaults. We heard stories of women who sat with their service revolvers in their mouths and were only stopped from killing themselves when they thought of their children or their pets. Heartbreaking stories of despair. One claimant committed suicide during the claims process.
I have concluded, based on everything I was told over the past 3 years, that the culture of the RCMP is toxic and tolerates misogyny and homophobia at all ranks and in all provinces and territories. This culture does not reflect the stated values of the RCMP, and it is found throughout the organization. RCMP members and officers are forced to accept that they must function in the context of this culture to succeed. RCMP employees appear to blame the “bad apples” without recognizing the systemic and internal origins of this conduct.
Incredibly sad to learn the extent of suffering and the long-term ripple effects on their lives. Broken relationships, damaged careers and absent parenting for their children. We cannot turn back the clock and give these women their lives back, restore their careers and fix the broken marriages. The report is an acknowledgment of the financial settlements an acknowledgement of the failure of leadership to stop the violence and listen to complaints of sexual harassment and sexual assault. A complete failure in accountability for perpetrators and in fact the offenders often were promoted. The hope with this report is in helping alleviate their misery and prevent the RCMP from self-destructing.
From his words Justice Bastarache was deeply shocked, saddened by the number of women suffering and lack of accountability, the years of trauma, broken lives and unbelievable emotional pain. You have to read it to truly understand the magnitude of destroyed lives, damaged careers.
THE RCMP HAS HAD YEARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM
Comprehensive cultural change is required. For the last 30 years issues of workplace and sexual harassment and discrimination have been brought to the attention of the Government of Canada and the RCMP through internal reports, external reports and litigation before the Courts. The measures taken in response have not, in my view, succeeded in addressing the underlying issues arising from the RCMP’s toxic culture.
Indeed, based on my review of former reports and litigation and conversations with 644 women, I am not convinced that positive cultural change can occur without external pressure.
As such, I conclude that the time has come for an in depth, external and independent review of the organization and future of the RCMP as a federal policing organization
From my own experience in reading the report, it was like I was reading parts of my own story. The bullying and sexual harassment started at the beginning of what was to be a happy successful career. Most of us, women, were unprepared for the RCMP workplace culture of ‘protect our own’ that did not include anyone considered ‘the other’. Unfortunately ‘protect our own’ did not include women. Those who did not fit into the workplace culture. Basically, it could have been anyone and this violence did include men. However, most of those who experienced sexual harassment and sexual assault were women. The various hazing rituals did include sexualized behaviours. The report focused on women in the RCMP. Regular, civilian members, PSE and other female employees.
The fact that no one was listening for decades really pissed me off because if anyone had been awake in the RCMP, the government and media this could have been part of the conversation years ago and maybe just maybe the damage could have ended. I have been speaking up about this exact criminal toxic behaviour for years and no one was willing to take a second look or get involved and speak up. Time to change, time to get into 2020 modern respectful workplace attitudes. To end the bullying, sexual assault abusers, remove the racist, homophobic behaviours.
We cannot change people but what we can do is make it uncomfortable for racist, homophobic and misogynistic bullying attitudes. How do we do that? It is going to take at least a decade. Follow the recommendation in this report. The only way to change a toxic workplace is first to be accountable and use the multi-pronged approach to address the many recommendations mentioned in the report. From my perspective help victims’ past and present heal from their pain and suffering. Be willing to seek outside ideas on management/leadership development, conflict resolution, ongoing training, promotion, mental health, communication and empathy, listening skills and diversity. Follow the recommendations and be creative. What are other police agencies doing that have the same issues? Be curious.
Be willing to enforce these recommendations from the report. Be brave enough to fire, remove, demote those officers who continue to have bullying, misogynistic, racist, and homophobic attitudes.
We cannot afford to lose any more lives damaged by their RCMP workplace. Five years from today I would hope The Honourable Michel Bastarache can say that these recommendations have been implemented and the tide has changed in the RCMP workplace culture. This is my hope for the current and next generations of RCMP employees enjoy a violent free workplace.
As Canadians we demand our national police force be held to a high standard in leadership and treatment of all its employees. Keep the conversation going and speak up, every voice counts.
I wanted to add a special and heartfelt ‘Thank you’ to those who spent the time interviewing and listing to the broken dreams, it can be overwhelming. Thank you to the courageous women who were brave in first surviving their ordeal and sharing, reliving the painful broken lives.
After reading the report realized many officers spent more than three decades in this toxic workplace. Speaking from experience with 20 years of dealing with workplace bullying, sexual harassment and assault, take time to define your own life and happiness as you move forward. It is an ongoing journey of empowerment from those ‘scars’ of trauma.
Suicide, mental health, PTSD, depression and anxiety disorders resulting from the toxic work culture have robbed many of life, family, careers and dreams. Some have killed themselves while others are lost in despair. Navigating through the trauma is a journey an individual path to find our voice to empowerment and happiness.
Never give up. Our scars remind us where we have been but do not have to define our future happiness and success.
MERLODAVIDSON.CA