Female officers suing B.C. municipal police forces for harassment say they are 'tip of the iceberg'

Five women named as plaintiffs in a proposed class action lawsuit against B.C.'s municipal police forces met with politicians at the B.C. Legislature Tuesday to advocate for changes to the way complaints between officers are handled in B.C.

Members of the group say the process for investigating allegations between officers, laid out in B.C.'s Police Act, is contributing to what they allege is widespread gender and sexual orientation-based harassment, discrimination, and bullying across B.C.'s 13 municipal police forces.

"The Police Act does not protect women in the workplace. It basically subjects us to further harassment, further gender-based discrimination," said Lauren Phillips, plaintiff and former officer with the New Westminster Police Department.

Allegations of harassment within police forces in Canada are not new. The RCMP has settled two class-action lawsuits regarding sexual harassment and discrimination against women one in 2016 for female officers, and another in 2019 for women employed in non-policing roles. Both were settled for $100 million each.

WATCH | Former officers speak about proposed class action:

Female officers file proposed class-action lawsuit against B.C. police departments

11 months ago

Duration 1:01

Plaintiffs Cary Ryan and Helen Irvine talk about the class-action on behalf of female police officers

Members of the B.C. group said Tuesday that a number of women have come forward to share similar stories of harassment after the claim was filed on Oct. 11, 2023. The suit claims that plaintiffs and class members have suffered "serious physical and psychological damages, out-of-pocket expenses and loss of income" as a result.

"Our lives have been upended and changed. The whole trajectory of our careers, the whole trajectory of our lives has been changed," said Helen Irvine, plaintiff and former officer with the Delta Police Department.

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner of B.C., one of 17 defendants, filed its response to the lawsuit, denying all allegations made in the civil claim on Nov. 6.

Complaint process for officers

Cases of sexual assault or violence between officers are investigated differently from civilian cases. The Police Act lays out procedures for complaints of misconduct against officers that apply even if the complaint is brought forward by another officer.

Under the act, the police complaint commissioner can compel an alleged victim to participate in the investigation, or face workplace discipline. Officers filing complaints against other officers can also be treated as witnesses in their own cases, rather than victims.

One of the testimonies outlined in the claim described an instance where a former officer, whose name is protected under a publication ban, was allegedly named as a witness, rather than a complainant in a case about her own sexual assault.

The claim alleges she was denied access to information about her trial, as complaints against officers under the Police Act are not subject to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act.

The group wants to see action to stop similar events from occurring. Phillips said the allegations of harassment the group has brought forward are the "tip of the iceberg."

"If it doesn't change, this is going to keep happening. The public is going to see a number of cases come forward in the future that will be just like us," Phillips said.

MLA and former RCMP officer Elenore Sturkosaid officers who are victims of other officers need to be entitled to the same rights as civilians.

"It's a barrier to reporting things like sexual assaults in the workplace, or harassment, or violence, but it's also re-traumatizing for people that have already been through a terrible situation in the workplace," Sturko said.

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said in a statement that the province is "devoted to ensuring that everyone who works with the municipal police services is working in a safe and respectful environment, free from harassment in any form."

Farnworth said he couldn't comment further as the matter was before the courts.

One of the most high-profile instances of sexual misconduct within a police force was the case of Vancouver police Const. Nicole Chan, who died by suicide in January 2019 after previously accusing one of her superiors of sexual assault and extortion.