Today, the Independent Assessors released the Final Report on Tiller/Copland/Roach RCMP Class Action, related to sexual harassment and discrimination experienced with the RCMP between 1974 and 2019.
This significant harm experienced in our workplace by women who worked or volunteered alongside the RCMP is totally unacceptable. The actions of some in our organization who have engaged in sexual harassment, misogyny, homophobia and sexual assault, as set out in the Assessors' report, have weighed heavily on individuals as well as their families. They have also harmed our organization as a whole.
There is no excuse for the behaviours detailed in this report. These women were volunteers, students, contractors, and public service employees who worked with us in service to our communities. The Assessors heard from women including some who were particularly vulnerable because of their young age, were dependent on superiors to support their careers, or could simply not afford to leave. They deserved to feel safe and be treated with respect, and we let them down.
I continue to be committed to further improving RCMP culture, and as we know from previous reviews, the solution is multi-pronged. Fostering a healthy and inclusive culture where every person who works for and with the RCMP is recognized for their contributions regardless of their role, identity or category of employee is a top priority. I will not accept anything less.
Harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated at the RCMP. I encourage anyone who has been subject to this behaviour to report it, so we can take steps to address it. Current and former employees, including the Tiller class action victims who have been a victim of a criminal offence related to workplace harassment and violence can contact the dedicated resource for support by email at ICHRVictimSupport-SoutienVictimesCIRH@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
We are professionals, and our workplace needs to reflect this. All RCMP employees are expected to foster a culture of respect, and to live our core values. As an organization, we are always evolving and we continue to consult those most impacted. Over the past year, we engaged employees, Indigenous nation builders and community partners to renew our core values and provide a modern and inclusive foundation to an ethical culture that builds and sustains trust and confidence in our workplaces and the communities we serve. We must speak out against bad behaviour, either directly or indirectly to a manager or other trusted person. An RCMP workplace characterized by respect, sound judgment and inclusive leadership is at the core of the solution.
Over the last two years, we have worked to make meaningful progress towards a healthier, respectful and more equitable RCMP. Last year, we launched our first-ever RCMP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to prevent systemic racism and discrimination within the RCMP, and we have fully implemented the use of Gender-based Analysis Plus across our organization. We have focused on harassment prevention and resolution; addressing barriers; recruitment and training; and leadership development. And we have prioritized transparency by reporting on our actions on our Vision 150 website.
The report notes the importance of a harassment resolution process that is trusted, effective, and independent. On June 30, 2021, the RCMP established the civilian-staffed Independent Centre for Harassment Resolution (ICHR) to strengthen trust in the harassment resolution process, and to resolve occurrences of workplace harassment and violence. The ICHR includes enhanced services and supports available to current and former employees who are victims and survivors of workplace harassment and violence. We've designed the ICHR model to be trauma-informed and free from conflict of interest, and we continue to evaluate what measures need to be taken to externalize the ICHR.
We also want to ensure there is accountability for misconduct. In the fall, we hired an external expert to conduct a review of the RCMP's conduct measures to ensure they meet modern expectations of fairness, transparency and effectiveness. We recently received their first report focused on measures related to sexual misconduct. We are closely reviewing their recommendations, and will implement any necessary changes to ensure measures are meaningful. Plans are underway for the broader dissemination of the report.
We know we need to continue to closely monitor our progress on change. We are developing a measurement framework with specific objectives and indicators to show progress and to course correct when needed.
I am encouraged by the positive momentum, but we know there is still work to do. The solutions to workplace harassment and discrimination are not simple and require a long-term holistic approach. We've made it a priority to engage with partners to explore ways to remove gender equality barriers, like access to child care and other social supports.
With continued effort by all of us, I believe our current and planned actions support a healthy, inclusive and modern workplace, free of harassment and discrimination, that our employees, partners and communities expect and deserve.
Brenda Lucki
Commissioner