Canada's spy agency settles lawsuit over alleged racist and homophobic bullying
Source: Guardian
Details of the settlement were kept confidential after five employees claimed ‘discriminatory behavior has become the accepted culture’ at the agency
Ashifa Kassam in Toronto
@ashifa_k
Friday 15 December 2017 12.42 EST
Canada’s spy service has settled a C$35m lawsuit launched by five employees who alleged they suffered years of bullying in a workplace rife with racism, homophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment.
The allegations against the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, documented in a statement of claim filed in July in Federal Court, offered a view into one of the country’s most secretive organisations.
Based on the experiences of five veteran employees, court documents painted a picture of a hostile work environment where “racist, sexist, homophobic and discriminatory behaviour has become the accepted culture and norm”. None of the allegations were proved in court.
On Thursday CSIS director David Vigneault said in a statement that a settlement had been negotiated, describing it as “in the best interest of those concerned”. He gave no details on the terms of the settlement, calling it a confidential matter.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/15/canadas-spy-agency-settles-lawsuit-over-alleged-racist-and-homophobic-bullying
