Report looked into allegations that Michael Gottheil had 'toxic impact' on CHRC workplace
Canada’s justice minister has called on the country’s first accessibility commissioner to address the recommendations of a third-party report which looked into allegations of mistreatment of workers.
The Ministry of Justice completed the report and submitted it to minister Arif Virani. The investigation cost taxpayers more than $230,000, according to a CBC report.
The third-party report looked into allegations that Michael Gottheil had a "toxic impact" on the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) workplace. Workers claimed that they were in a "psychologically unsafe work environment,” according to the report.
However, Virani's office wouldn't say what the investigation found or recommended, and said it would not comment to protect the "integrity of the process."
And Gottheil "will be continuing in his role,” according to the commission.
Meanwhile, the justice minister "has provided direction to the [commission] and Mr. Gottheil to address the recommendations made in the report,” a Department of Justice spokesperson told CBC.
In March, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) concluded that the CHRC discriminated against its own Black and racialized workers.
Meanwhile, Gottheil’s lawyer, Peter Engelmann, said that his client "responded to the workplace concerns raised with him by participating in and meeting the expectations" of the government's review process. He said Gottheil and everyone else involved signed a confidentiality agreement.
"Mr. Gottheil participated fully and honestly in the Quintet investigation and he has kept his commitments," Engelmann said in a media statement, according to CBC.
"He will continue to respect the integrity of this process going forward."
The CHRC also launched a separate third-party review this year to find out if staff leaked confidential information following a CBC report about the commission's handling of allegations against Gottheil, noted CBC.
The commission said it spent close to $13,000 in public funds to hire external workplace investigator Simner Corporation. The company looked into "whether there had been any wrongful disclosure of confidential information" from February to May this year, the commission said.
The commission wouldn't disclose what Simner Corporation learned, saying that the "findings of the review are confidential,” noted CBC.
The Privy Council Office (PCO) failed to look into the aliases that the new CHRC head allegedly used to make controversial social media posts, according to another CBC report.
Following these findings, the PCO will be reviewing its background check process. As of now, it added that neither the existence of Dattani's aliases, nor any forms containing his aliases, were shared with the Prime Minister's Office or the justice minister's office.
A report published in June noted that the United Nations’ oversight body will be investigating the CHRC following reports that the Canadian body has discriminated against Black and racialized workers.
