Psychiatrist alleges RCMP's 'attempt to bully' him shows historic sexual harassment apology hollow

A Vancouver psychiatrist says despite theRCMP'spublic apologyto hundreds of female staffers for decades of sexualharassment,the force is stilldenying some of his patients' claims of abuse and sexual misconduct and trying to fire two of them.

Dr. Greg Passey, who specializes in treating first responders who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, says less than a month after the public apology in October, two senior Mounties paid him a visit to discuss his medical recommendation that the force must settle lawsuits with two of his patients before they can return to work.

Rather than settle, the RCMP sent the women their final dismissal papers last week.

"You have this big public apology and about a month later the abuse of power continues, the harassment continues," Passey said.

Passey, who hashad a front-row seat to thefive-year-long controversy that has rocked the RCMP and culminated in the apology and $100-million settlement of a class action lawsuit,believes the public perception that the force is transforming itself isn't accurate.

His two patients in the process of being fired, Atoya Montague, a civilian communications strategist, and Cst. Susan Gastaldo, an undercover officer, are suing the force separately and are both on sick leave suffering from PTSD.

According to their lawsuits, Montague claimsshe was sexually propositioned daily by senior officers and Gastaldo claims hersupervisor repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

They say the force is now in the processof unfairly firing them, andcontinues to deny all their claims,despite the public acknowledgement of decades of "shameful conduct."

But the public apology doesn't mean the police force admitted to every individual allegationof sexual misconduct. In the context of the class action lawsuit, claims are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. In the case of separate lawsuits, allegations will be tested in court.

Commissioner's apology: 'crocodile tears'

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson wiped away tears after apologizing to female Mounties on Oct 6.

"You came to the RCMP wanting to personally contribute to your community and we failed you. We hurt you. For that, I'm truly sorry."

• Mounties offer apology and $100M compensation for harassment

Passey says in his professional opinion as a psychiatrist "those were tears of embarrassment, that was not in sympathy with the women."

"Crocodile tears by the commissioner ... that was about humiliation and embarrassment and having to apologize for the harassment and abuse of power that occurred on his watch," said Passey, who baseshis criticism on the RCMP's handling of Gastaldo and Montague's files since the apology in October.

Paulson apology: "we failed you, we hurt you"

8 years ago

Duration 2:07

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson apologizes to all employees who experienced gender and sexual orientation-based discrimination, bullying and harassment while in the Mounties.

RCMPbossesvisit psychiatrist's office

On Nov. 2,two managers from RCMP's E Division were in Passey's officegiving him what he callsa taste of what his patients have experienced.

Passey had written RCMP's medical services to say that PTSD wasn'tthe only thing keeping Gastaldo and Montague off the job.

He wrote that a condition of their return to work must be a resolution of their sexual misconduct lawsuits.

Passeyallegesthe meeting was "an attempt to bully" him into changing hisopinion.

He saysSupt. Sean Sullivan suggestedhiswrittenrecommendations weren'tcompliant with B.C.'s College of Physicians and Surgeons guidelines.

'Veiled threat' over medical opinion

"What other employer anywhere in Canada would send a senior management person into a physician's office and basically say ... 'If you don't change your opinion,' then there is a veiled threat that they were going to do a college complaint," said Passey.

He says he took that to mean the RCMPwasconsidering filing a complaint with the physicians'regulator, just as it had done with psychologist Mike Websterafter he criticized the force's handling of his patients' harassment complaints in 2011.

That complaint was later dismissedand the RCMP was found to have breached the privacyofofficers in filing the complaint.

RCMP deniesbullying Dr. Passey

Inan email to Dr. Passeyin November, Supt. Sean Sullivan summarized their meeting, saying the RCMP believed Passey's recommendation that the force resolve the lawsuitswas "opinion based towards the management of the RCMP" and "not inline with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. Professional Standards and Guidelines."

Sullivan declined an interview request, but the RCMP sent a statement, that the forcelater posted on its website,in response to questions from CBC News that says,"We disagree with the characterization of the meeting and deny the accusations that during that meeting the doctor was bullied or that threats to complain to the College of Physicians and Surgeons were made.

"The in-person meeting, which was agreed upon, was an attempt to have an open discussion, as we both have a role in finding solutions or a path that would help accommodate a healthy and safe return to work."

Psychiatrist says RCMP sexual harassment apology is hollow

7 years ago

Duration 1:59

Dr. Greg Passey alleges RCMP's 'attempt to bully' him and continuing to deny harassment claims of some of his patients contradicts their apology

Dismissal documents sent to Montague also say the RCMPbelieves Dr. Passey's recommendation that the forceresolve its lawsuitsis not an appropriate accommodation orcondition for her return to work.

Passey says his opinion is based on medical literature on PTSD.

"From a clinical point of view, it's inappropriate for either of these two ladies to return to work when the RCMP continue to deny anything bad happened to them, no attempt to resolve their lawsuits, or discipline alleged perpetrators," he said.

"Then they blame the individual for not coming back ...That is actually hurting these women's health and it's impairing the women's ability to go back to work."

Gastaldo breaks silence

When the meeting was over, the two RCMP managers walked right by Susan Gastaldo, who was seated in Passey's waiting room.

"Every time I try and return to work, the barriers are set up by the workplace, and I can't return and I have yet to see accountability,"said Gastaldo, speaking publicly for the first time.

She says she's ready to return to work "as long as they can guarantee a safe workplace."

But the supervisor she alleges assaulted her is still on the job.

She was on sick leave with an anxiety disorder when she says thesupervisor forced her to come back to work and coerced her into a sexual relationship she says was never consensual, according to documents filed in court.

Gastaldowas first disciplined for what the force calledconsensual, on-duty sex with her boss, but she was latercleared of any wrongdoing after an appeal.

In its statement of defence, the RCMP maintainsit was a consensual affair.

Women want accountability

"Something happened every day of my career ... you're in the middle of a business conversation and they ask you when you are going to have sex with them," said Atoya Montague of her years as a civilian RCMP communications strategist.

She was furious to learn her managers visited her psychiatristwho wants the RCMPto resolve her allegations.

"All [Dr. Passey]is saying is, 'How can Isend someone back into a workplace where she's been abused, sexually assaulted,harassed and bullied almost every day of her career when you haven't even acknowledged that happened?'"

RCMPdoctor overruled specialist

Montagueis also angry a family doctor working for the RCMP overruled her psychiatristand recommended shebe medically discharged from the force because she's unlikely to be fit for duty in the foreseeable future.

"This is a doctor who has never met me," said Montague.

The RCMPsays itfollowed itspolicy.

"We cannot, in good conscience, continue to pay a full salary indefinitely to an employee whose health prevents them from performing any duties within the RCMP,"the statement says.

Montague and Gastaldo could make claims against the class action settlement, but they are suing separately because the settlement will only compensate victims,not punish alleged perpetrators.

"It's acknowledged that there has been bad behaviour and yet nobody's been fired," said Walter Kostekyj, Gastaldo's lawyer.

None of Montague or Gastaldo's allegations have been proven in court.

Women asked Goodale for help

A report from a federal investigation into the RCMP's handling of bothcases is expected at the end of March.

Ralph Goodaleappointed former auditor general Sheila Fraserto investigate afterGastaldo, Montague and two otherswrotethe Liberal governmentin 2015askingthe public safetyminister tostop theRCMPfrom firing them.

"I wait to see if Hon. Ralph Goodale has the fortitude to actually force the RCMP to change," Passey said.

"When will the government step in to stop the ongoing harassment and abuse of power?"

Goodale would not say if he will intervene inthe firings because the cases are before the courts.

But said he was anxious to hear Fraser's advice.

"When you have this pattern over time it obviously speaks to some deep-seated problems ... it is unacceptable for the RCMP ... a Canadian icon and that workplace of all workplaces should be exemplary," he said.

"This corner has to be turned and I am absolutely determined to get that done."

Women suing RCMP ask Justin Trudeau for help

9 years ago

Duration 2:23

Susan Gastaldo, Catherine Galliford, Alice Fox and Atoya Montegue are suing the force for harrassment on the job

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