Harassment, bullying and racism allegations against 2 senior TRU leaders under investigation
CBC
WARNING: This story contains distressing details.
Two senior administrators at a B.C. university are under investigation after several current and former staff and faculty members came forward with allegations of anti-Indigenous racism and bullying behaviour. One of them is also accused of sexual harassment.
Matt Milovick, the vice president of finance and administration at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), and his subordinate Larry Phillips, the assistant vice president of people and culture, are accused of fostering a toxic workplace at the Kamloops university, according to documents obtained by CBC News and interviews with more than a dozen people. The allegations against Phillips include sexual harassment.
Those who've complained about the two men also allege university leadership are dragging their feet on the investigation, and they've asked — unsuccessfully — for the B.C. government to step in.
The terms of reference for the school's investigation, led by lawyers Kelly Serbu of Halifax and Sharon Cartmill-Lane of Victoria, say it will include possible violations of, among other things, the B.C. Human Rights Code, TRU's memorandum of understanding with the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc, workplace safety regulations and the school's policies on diversity, sexualized violence and harassment.
The investigation was launched in response to a Feb. 8 letter from an anonymous group addressed to TRU's board of governors along with other executives and deans, according to the terms of reference document.
The Feb. 8 message says the authors have been in contact with at least 11 current and former TRU employees "who report directly witnessing, or being the victims of, discriminatory conduct, discriminatory statements and/or harassment" by Milovick and Phillips.
None of the allegations have been proven.
CBC News has reached out to both Milovick and Phillips with detailed questions about the allegations against them. Phillips has yet to respond.
Milovick said in an email that he received the terms of reference for the investigation on Monday and he acknowledges there will be an investigation into his professional conduct. He did not respond to any of the specific allegations.
"I welcome the opportunity to fully participate in this process. I will not be making any further comments at this time," Milovick wrote.
A statement from TRU about the investigation says the university is taking the matter seriously and formed a sub-committee immediately after learning of the allegations.
"The sub-committee acted quickly and went to great lengths to ensure that all these independent resources have extensive experience handling similar matters, while having no prior relationships with TRU," Marilyn McLean, the chair of the university's board of governors, said in the statement.
"Furthermore, the sub-committee has worked together with the independent and Indigenous investigators, and legal counsel to put all appropriate and defensible safeguards in place for the complainants, in order to … maintain the integrity of the investigation."
Premier Wab Kinew says Manitoba will hold a public inquiry as soon as 2026 into the former Progressive Conservative government’s post-election efforts to approve an environmental licence for sand-mining company Sio Silica.
Premier Scott Moe has led the Saskatchewan Party through two straight elections, winning majority governments each time.
Eight weeks after adding a GM BrightDrop van to the fleet of his plumbing and heating business, Marty Salliss has no complaints, only praise.
Nearly half of Alberta’s Grade 6 students failed the provincewide math test in 2024, three years after the province started rolling out its new elementary school curriculum.
Toronto could get new cars on the road whose drivers will never get frustrated by gridlock — because the cars would be driving themselves.
Amidst a cost-of-living crisis, some London-area organizations say they have noticed a decline in donations this holiday season.
Prominent northern leaders have been touting the Arctic economic and security corridor as a "nation-building" project that will bring economic benefits to the two territories it straddles, but others are split on how much good will come out of it.
When the federal government tabled its 2025 budget last month, it included a proposal that tax fraud experts say is long overdue — if also a belated acknowledgement that the Canada Revenue Agency has been repeatedly duped into paying out untold millions in bogus tax refunds to scammers.
Talking with an AI chatbot can successfully convince people to change their votes and could affect the outcome of future elections, according to a new study.
While some are writing wishlists for Santa Claus, a group of Newfoundland and Labrador youth are writing their wishlist for the provincial government.
A horse owner near Stewiacke, N.S., says the current shortage of hay in the province is putting pressure on her financially.
Victoria Volkanova was remembering Jewish resilience and courage by celebrating Hanukkah on Sunday.
Winnipeggers are still digging out from this past week’s winter wallop, but the wait for roadside assistance is almost over, according to the provincial motoring association.