Reporter's notebook: The story that rocked city hall in 2019

On a mid-September Sunday afternoon, I found myself sitting in the Glebe Starbucks across from a twenty-something woman who had reached out to tell what was starting to become a familiar tale of a job interview allegedly gone very much awry.

There's nothing too unusual in a reporter meeting with a possible source outside normal office hours.

What was noteworthy about this rendezvous, though, was that this woman wasn't alone: she had her mother with her.

In fact, the women who came forward with allegations that Coun. Rick Chiarelli engaged in inappropriate behaviour and made sexually charged comments including pressuring workers to wear revealing clothing and asking job applicants if they'd go braless to work events often brought parents, partners and friends for moral support.

That shouldn't have come as a surprise. After all, they were stepping into a role they hadn't sought out.

Yet I didn't fully appreciateat the outset the trepidation andin some cases, even fear they appeared to experience in adding their chapter to this story.

'He asked me if I've ever done stripping'

5 years ago

Duration 1:21

One woman who interviewed for a job with Coun. Rick Chiarelli says he asked her inappropriate personal questions that made her feel uncomfortable.

The young woman I met at Starbucks, for example, told me that Chiarelli asked her if she had ever considered being a stripper. Her voice shook as she relayed her version of the job interview, and how it made her feel "disgusting."

It's no wonder she wanted her mom by her side.

• Councillor asked job applicant about going braless
• Councillor pens denial, blames allegations on 'mob mentality'

Chiarelli has denied all allegations and partly blamed the multiple accusations against him on a "mob mentality."

While not officially on leave, he is currently in the hospital dealing with health issues and is expected to be absent from city hall in the coming months.

'It's just me against him'

The first woman who spoke to me about Chiarelli seemed resolved to take action.

Days after a June job interview with Chiarelli during which she alleges that, among other things, the councillor showed her pictures on his cell of women in revealing outfits and asked her if she'd be willing to gobraless she started the process of filing a formal complaint.

She reached out to CBC days later.

But even this woman confessed to being scared.

"It's just me against him," she told me. "The Chiarelli name ispowerfulin this city."

CBC corroborated her story by checking with friends and a supervisor she'd told about the episode.

It took two more months to investigate whether there was any indication of a pattern in the councillor's past behaviour.

In the end, we spoke with another five women who had worked for himwho said they had experienced or witnessed similar behaviour.

One staffer shared with us a text from the councillor where the two were discussing what sort of dress she should wear to a work event.

We gave Chiarelli more than a week to respond, laying out the details of all allegations being made against him. He didn't answer multiple requests for an interview, but his lawyer sent a letter calling the accusations "spurious."

We published our first story on Sept. 12 then came the emails, phone calls and Twitter messages.

Most were from former female employees and job applicants saying they had their own similar stories to tell, but we also heard from their boyfriends, former boyfriends, parents and friends.

• Better without a bra: Six women come forward with allegations against Chiarelli

My producer created a spreadsheet to keep their accounts organized.

Over the following weeks, we ended up corroborating 13 women's storiesand reported eight of them.

Four of the women used their full names they all live outside of Ottawa now, the key reason they gave for feeling comfortable going on the record.

1st woman inspired others

All of the subsequent complainants told us they were nervous about coming forward with their own allegations, but wanted to support the woman who first stepped forward.

Some of the allegations date back several years. The women told us they didn't know who to complain to, even if they were willing to step forward.

'I was nervous that nobody would believe me'

5 years ago

Duration 0:38

According to one woman, Coun. Rick Chiarelli asked her during a job interview if she'd be willing to visit bars and clubs to recruit men as volunteers for his office.

For the most part, they were in their early 20s, just starting out in their careers, whilethe man they're accusing is one of the city's longest-serving councillors.

As one young woman explained: "I was nervous that nobody would believe me. It would be a he-said she-said situation, and this guy is a city councillor. Why would somebody believe some 20-year-old girl over some guy who has a reputation in the city for 30 years?"

Institutional change possible in 2020

But signs that the women are supported are obvious.

For one, protesters hung bras on trees in front of City Hall.

Chiarelli's council colleagues declined his request for an indefinite leave of absence although this was before the councillor revealed he needed bypass surgery and they refused to sit with him at the same council table.

The integrity commissioner is investigating a number of formal complaints made about Chiarelli, although the councillor's illness could delay the process.

Perhaps most importantly, the city has launched a policy review of hiring practices and is looking at ways to better protect political staffers, job applicants and the general public from disrespectful behaviour from elected officials.

• Coun. Rick Chiarelli to get quadruple bypass heart surgery

More accountability for councillors' behaviour is one of the complainants' key demands.

While real institutional reforms may flow from this story, the underlying human dimension won't be as easily changed.

Despite the #MeToo movement, the power imbalances that so often define relationships in workplaces may make any individual think twice before stepping forward especially where political reputations are on the line.

It helps to have someone, maybe even your mom, by your side.