The Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Association (CREA) may soon be investigated by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.
A human rights complaint on behalf of multiple victims was filed with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal on July 12.
The complaint was filed by a lawyer sa国际传媒渙n behalf of workers and volunteers who have experienced discrimination contrary to section 13 of the Human Rights Code committed by the Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Association.sa国际传媒�
In the complaint, allegations of eight years of systemic racism, sexism and physical abuse are being levelled at Mike MacSorley, former general manager of the Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Association.
From 2014 to 2021, the non-profit association employed MacSorley as general manager even though they knew of his sa国际传媒渂latantly racist views of South Asian people and ongoing egregious conduct toward female staff and volunteers,sa国际传媒� the complaint contends.
The complaint also alleges key board members from the association sa国际传媒� president Shannon Claypool, vice-presidents Dale Saip and Rich Kitos, and treasurer Gerry Spielmacher sa国际传媒� were made aware of the allegations but did nothing to fix the situation and that they conspired to cover it up.
The complaint does not mention non-executive board members, Kathy Sheppard (Members & Volunteers), the citysa国际传媒檚 Kelsey Swanson (Parks & Rec.), John Kageorge (Co-chair Country Fair), Doug Elford (Surrey City Council), Farhad Alizadeh (Facilities/Operations), and Sierra Pilcher (Co-chair Country Fair Representative).
The rodeo association has contravened the Human Rights Code sa国际传媒渂y upholding a hostile and poisoned work environment and by failing to respond to race- and sex-based harassment,sa国际传媒� the complaint alleges.
The City of Surrey funds the rodeo association each year to operate the Cloverdale Fairgrounds for the city. According to a city report, the association received an annual base payment of $380,000 for the years 2017-2019. The proposal for 2020-2022 was $407,000 per year.
The CREA also receives a $225,000 grant each year to operate the annual rodeo and exhibition.
Some allegations came to light in January 2021 when a former rodeo employee was terminated. He wrote several letters and emailed them to the rodeo board, all City of Surrey councillors and Mayor Doug McCallum; high-ranking city workers including two top-ranking city managers Vincent Lalonde and Rob Costanzo; the citysa国际传媒檚 general manager of finance Kam Grewal; Kelsey Swanson, community and recreation services manager for Cloverdale; and RCMP members.
The emails detailed allegations of abuse by MacSorley, matching claims in the human rights complaint.
The complaint says the executive directors received a letter from a former employee talking about MacSorleysa国际传媒檚 inappropriate conduct in January of 2021.
Initially ignored, the emails eventually prompted a review that sa国际传媒渨ent through the motions of an investigationsa国际传媒� into MacSorleysa国际传媒檚 conduct. But that was ultimately undermined by sa国际传媒渄ismissive and sexist comments from MacSorley and the associationsa国际传媒檚 executive directors,sa国际传媒� the complaint states.
But it did prompt MacSorleysa国际传媒檚 departure. On March 15, MacSorley abruptly resigned as GM. At the time, Claypool told Black Press that sa国际传媒淢ike resigned for personal reasons.sa国际传媒�
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The complaint details incidents that accuse MacSorley of anti-South Asian racism, misogyny, and physical and psychological abuse. It also accuses the association of failing to respond to the sa国际传媒渞acist and sexist work environmentsa国际传媒� along with continuing to ignore new information and new instances of wrongdoing.
The complaint also asserts the CREA is still in sa国际传媒渃ontinuous contraventionsa国际传媒� of the Human Rights Code and claims the association failed sa国际传媒渢o provide a harassment-free workplacesa国际传媒� and that this sa国际传媒渕ay constitute a contraventionsa国际传媒� of the Human Rights Code.
The complaint charges the association has sa国际传媒渇ailed to provide a a harassment free workplace by creating an environment where it heavily relied on volunteer labour without making any effort to protect volunteers from harassment or to accept feedback or complaints about ongoing harassment.sa国际传媒�
The court filing alleges, sa国际传媒淭he Association is directly responsible for MacSorleysa国际传媒檚 racist and sexist conduct.sa国际传媒�
Lawyers representing the victims are seeking seven sa国际传媒渞emedies,sa国际传媒� including: an order the sa国际传媒淎ssociation provide harassment and discrimination training for all managers; an order that CREA create a meaningful anti-harassment policy and an effective complaint mechanism; damages for injury to dignity, feelings, and self-respect for each group member,sa国际传媒� among other demands.
Some of the incidents are detailed in the complaint.
The complaint contends MacSorley targeted South Asians with racist remarks, notably the CREAsa国际传媒檚 accountant, the only South Asian working in the office.
sa国际传媒淢acSorley would direct comments about sa国际传媒榶ou peoplesa国际传媒� or sa国际传媒榶our peoplesa国际传媒� at the accountantsa国际传媒� and then say after he was talking about sa国际传媒渁ccountants not brown people,sa国际传媒� the complaint asserts.
The complaint contends MacSorley sa国际传媒渞efused to interview or hire anyone he believed to have an Indo-Canadian name.sa国际传媒�
The complaint charges that Claypool sa国际传媒渃ondoned MacSorleysa国际传媒檚 conduct and directly participated in the creation of a poisoned work environment,sa国际传媒� as Claypool was CREAsa国际传媒檚 president during MacSorleysa国际传媒檚 tenure as GM.
Under a subheading sa国际传媒淢isogyny,sa国际传媒� the complaint also details incidents in which Claypool made sa国际传媒渦nwelcome sexual advances toward female volunteers.sa国际传媒� It contends Claypool sent a sexually explicit text message to one volunteer and personally propositioned another volunteer.
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The complaint alleges MacSorley often made sexist comments to staff and volunteers and often used sa国际传媒渂itchsa国际传媒� to describe women. The complaint document claims MacSorley habitually told staff and volunteers, sa国际传媒淗arass is two words sa国际传媒� her asssa国际传媒� whenever the question of sexual harassment arose sa国际传媒� allegedly a monthly occurrence.
The complaint also says for about four years MacSorley physically and psychologically abused and harassed the only woman in the office.
sa国际传媒淔rom 2016 to 2019, MacSorley harassed this employee incessantly,sa国际传媒� the complaint states. MacSorley allegedly snuck up behind her to pull her hair and poke her in the ribs, causing her to jump up, injuring herself on her desk. MacSorley would also regularly throw balls of wet paper towels at her when he would come out of the washroom.
She was also the target of MacSorleysa国际传媒檚 mood swings, the complaint alleges, often yelling at her, sometimes close to her face.
The employee went to Spielmacher in 2018 to ask for help from the board, but sa国际传媒渢he harassment continued without any meaningful intervention.sa国际传媒�
In another incident, MacSorley tried to get a young female subcontractor to meet him at a bar, but when she refused and called her female contractor boss. sa国际传媒淢acSorley became so irate with (the boss) that a security guard had to intervene,sa国际传媒� the complaint alleges.
The complaint says Claypool followed up with the contractor and told her shesa国际传媒檇 sa国际传媒渉ave to find a waysa国际传媒� to work with MacSorley. The contractor then raised her concerns directly with MacSorley but was told the rodeo board sa国际传媒渉ad his back and would never fire him no matter what he did.sa国际传媒� The contractor was told to accept that or sa国际传媒渟top being involved in the Cloverdale Rodeo.sa国际传媒�
The complaint contends that as of 2016, all four executive directors sa国际传媒渄id little or nothing to respond to MacSorleysa国际传媒檚 misconduct or to create a safe and inclusive environment for women and South Asian people.sa国际传媒�
It also says MacSorley was antagonistic when anyone tried to address concerns about his behaviour and that he bragged about being called the sa国际传媒淒ark Lord of Operationssa国际传媒� by staff at his previous workplace, the PNE.
The Human Rights complaint concludes by contending the CREA is guilty of being in continuous contravention of the human rights code, of failing to provide a harassment-free workplace, and failing to respond to reports of harassment.
***
Speaking to the Cloverdale Reporter on Tuesday morning (July 13), Claypool said he was unaware of any Human Rights Tribunal complaint against the rodeo association. He added he didnsa国际传媒檛 see or hear of MacSorley making any racist or sexist remarks or comments. sa国际传媒淣ot at all. Not at all.sa国际传媒�
Also commenting on Tuesday morning, MacSorley told the Reporter he wasnsa国际传媒檛 aware of any racist actions or sexual harassment on his part during his time as rodeo GM.
MacSorley also said he wasnsa国际传媒檛 aware of any alleged abuse of the office manager, such as throwing wet paper towels at her, poking her in the sides, or pulling her hair.
sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 what she told me that I did. I donsa国际传媒檛 remember doing it. I just left because it wasnsa国际传媒檛 worth this,sa国际传媒� he said. He confirmed he did step down for personal reasons. sa国际传媒淢y mom died. The rodeo hadnsa国际传媒檛 happened in a couple years. Isa国际传媒檓 60. People started hurling accusations at me for no reason and it was just time to go.sa国际传媒�
MacSorley said the accusations are untrue, but they did lead to him stepping down. sa国际传媒淚t became a toxic place, and I was part of it, and people didnsa国际传媒檛 like me sa国际传媒� it was time to go.sa国际传媒�
He said a human resources investigation was launched after a former employee quit, and sent emails and letters out to anyone that would listen.
sa国际传媒淭hey didnsa国际传媒檛 find any truth to (the accusations). The police investigated it as well,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淣othing was covered up. Simran (Bhullar) did an investigation. There was eight years of stuff. He talked to me about it. And I said, sa国际传媒楨ight years? I might have done some stupid things, sure.sa国际传媒� But there was no malicious intent.sa国际传媒�
The Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Association has a . It began in March 1888 and has changed its name a few times since then as it took on different responsibilities. It became the CREA in 1994.
Rodeo board member John Kageorge reached out to the Reporter Tuesday afternoon (July 13).
sa国际传媒淭his morning the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Association was surprised to receive notice that a complaint had been made to the BC Human Rights Tribunal. It is an anonymous, serious complaint, and wesa国际传媒檙e reeling from it. We will study this with vigour and respond accordingly.
sa国际传媒淥ur Board, staff, and volunteers intend for our actions to have a positive impact on our community. The Association will address this in due course, but have no other information to share at this time.sa国际传媒�
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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