SCOOP: Mantha "sexually harassed" staffer "on a regular basis:" internal probe
“I simply can’t imagine him showing his face in the building anymore. He wouldn’t just be shunned, he’d be reviled.”
THE LEDE
SCOOP — Michael Mantha “sexually harassed” a staffer in his constit office “on a regular basis,” engaging in “several incidents of unwanted physical and sexual contact.”
That’s according to the verdict of an internal probe — conducted by external investigator Mireille Mortimer — which led to Mantha’s ouster from the NDP benches last year. At the time, leader Marit Stiles said the investigator, who’s now been ID’d as Mortimer, found that several allegations of workplace misconduct were “substantiated.” However, she opted not to reveal more details to protect the complainant. Mantha, at the time, said that although he disagreed with the outcome, he’d “moved on” from the ordeal.
The probe’s conclusions were made public Friday, included in arbitrator Jasbir Parmar’s decision in a labour dispute between the caucus and the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union on two grievances: Mantha’s misconduct and the staffer’s subsequent termination.
Here’s what we’ve learned about Mantha’s conduct:
Early last year, Mortimer was recruited to conduct an investigation into Mantha’s misconduct allegations. The review lasted between late January and early July, including: phone calls, emails, text messages, meeting notes, interviews with the staffer, interviews with three witnesses who “had direct knowledge,” review of “substantial” video evidence and a review of workplace policies.
Once the investigation began, Stiles — fresh from an uncontested rise to leader — asked Mantha to take a leave from caucus.
In April, Stiles booted Mantha from caucus over an interim summary of the allegations.
By mid July, the investigation was completed and a month later, a summary of the report’s ultimate outcome was shared by Stiles’ team to the staffer, her union and Mantha. Just after, Mantha, a veteran caucus member, was turfed and on the independent bench for good.
“As leader, I take my responsibility for safe and respectful workplaces very seriously,” Stiles said. “Members of our caucus, and all elected officials, must be held to a higher standard for their behaviour and how they use the power they have.”
According to Mortimer’s report, Mantha:
Pressured the complainant to engage in non-consensual sexual interactions with him;
Required the complainant to submit to his hugs on a regular basis;
Sexually harassed the complainant on a regular basis in the office, engaging in several incidents of unwanted physical and sexual contact, notwithstanding their protests that he stop such conduct;
Requested that she send him sexually explicit photos of herself, advise him of any sexual dreams about him, and made comments about her appearance, including her makeup, hair, and clothes; and
Pressured the complainant to work on site more often so that he could physically have access to her and continue his practice of sexually touching her;
What Mortimer found about Mantha’s misconduct was an internal mystery until earlier this week. With Mantha booted from caucus, the individual was terminated by the NDP in early January — a decision, her union argued, was in contravention of the collective agreement. The union took the case to the labour’s relation board, seeking “reinstatement and a range of other compensatory and other remedies.”
The arbitrator’s decision was expected to drop — and with Parmar’s conclusion that her termination was tied to Mantha’s misconduct, the explosive details of the allegations were set to become public.
“Senior leadership — probably [Stiles’ chief] Greg [Denton] and other senior staff — knew about the report’s findings when he was removed,” one source, granted anonymity to discuss internal matters, said of the probe’s outcome. “But none of the staff or management knew about the details of the allegations until this week.”
The party’s staff are largely unionized, per a second source. However, once a member is removed from caucus, they added, the employee is no longer under the party's collective agreement.
That’s the source of the dispute. In a letter to the complainant, the staffer was told her employment “no longer fell within the purview of the collective agreement,” with all other constit assistants also let go. “The letter stated that the caucus could not provide [the employee] with meaningful work within the COPE bargaining unit.”
In his Friday decision, however, Parmar concluded that her employment “was not terminated for just cause.” She, like her colleagues, were dismissed over Mantha's engagement in a toxic workplace, he explained.
Whether Mantha will stay or go is still unclear — but Stiles says it’s time for the veteran to quit.
“As leader, I take my responsibility to our staff and their safety very seriously,” she said in a statement to the newsletter. “It’s why I took swift action to remove MPP Mantha from my caucus when allegations against him were substantiated by an independent, third-party investigation.”
“I again call on Mr. Mantha to resign.”
So far, he’s planning to run again as an independent and is still out campaigning in his riding. (According to several familiar, Stiles’ summer tour will coincidentally make a stop in Algoma this weekend). “I simply can’t imagine him showing his face in the building anymore. He wouldn’t just be shunned, he’d be reviled,” one source texted.
Mantha did not respond to a request for comment and a phone call to his constit line went to voicemail.