Toronto Police failed to protect officer from sexual and racial harassment
and conducted flawed investigation

TORONTO, Oct. 12 /CNW/ - When Ms. Chuvalo made an official complaint about her supervisor's sexual harassment he backdated and filed four complaint forms against Ms. Chuvalo and the two issues were "investigated" together. Ms. Chuvalo was ultimately terminated. The officer had told Ms. Chuvalo, "Don't worry, I just want you to know I've had other bimbos complain about me over the 30 years and I'm still here."

Vice Chair Overend of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found that Ms. Chuvalo's supervising officer "took an active and possessive interest in her … and then when she failed to reciprocate that interest, he expressed hostility (both overt and subtle) towards her." The Vice Chair further found that his "behaviour stripped her of her dignity as a woman, served to isolate her within the unit and made going into work very stressful."  

"If you're quiet it will be worse. I want to give courage to others to come forward. I just shut up about it at first and it wasn't right. I don't regret filing the human rights claim but it has been very difficult" said Chuvalo. "As a woman who came to this country with big plans, it was horrible to have first been sexually harassed and mocked for my accent and then disbelieved."

Vice Chair Naomi Overend has ordered the Toronto Police Services to " …develop training material for the investigation of harassment, discrimination and reprisal complaints by the Professional Standards Unit."

In her 51-page written decision, Overend also found that the Toronto Police Services investigation into Ms. Chuvalo's allegations of sexual and racial harassment was "faulty" and "the officer who conducted the investigation had little understanding of the issues of harassment as was evident in his failure to recognize critical evidence and his insistence on the need for corroborating evidence."

In addition to ordering the Toronto Police to conduct training about how to investigate sexual and racial harassment, Ms. Chuvalo was personally awarded $20,000 for the harm resulting from the sexual harassment, and the additional harm that resulted from the flawed investigation.

Brenda Culbert, Ms. Chuvalo's lawyer from the Human Rights Legal Support Centre commented, "Ms. Chuvalo was brave to come forward as was the colleague who testified at her hearing.  We hope the training that the Police will receive will result in a better workplace for everyone."

For further information:

or to arrange interviews:
Jennifer Ramsay, Human Rights Legal Support Centre 416-326-7253; mobile: [phone]