Almost 10 months since Toronto authorities Supt. Ron Taverner suffered a concussion that prevented him using the witness stand, the high-profile intimate harassment instance of his colleague happens to be planned to begin with shutting submissions next week — without ever hearing through the officer that is high-ranking.
Taverner, an in depth buddy of Premier Doug Ford, had been the witness that is final the much-delayed Ontario Human Rights Tribunal situation of Const. Heather McWilliam, who alleges she had been for a long time the main topic of sexual harassment and humiliation by supervising officers at 23 Division, the north Etobicoke detachment led by Taverner.
Taverner “was planning to be considered a witness that is key” said Kate Hughes, McWilliam’s lawyer. Although he could be perhaps not called in McWilliam’s 2014 issue, Hughes alleged in her own opening address that Taverner attempted to dissuade McWilliam from sounding the security of a manager whom made intimately suggestive commentary, pointing to a poster in their workplace having said that: “loose lips sink vessels. ”
The allegations haven’t been proven in the tribunal.
However the long-running situation has been stalled since Taverner suffered just just just just what their physician called a “moderate to severe” concussion 1 week before he had been due to testify final July.
After months of further delays — including tribunal-ordered medical updates and a report from their physician in belated 2019 stating Taverner ended up being nevertheless maybe perhaps perhaps not effective at testifying — the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has opted to maneuver straight towards shutting arguments, in accordance with Hughes.
“We are disappointed that people will perhaps not hear from Supt. Taverner who was simply straight involved in the facts associated with situation, ” Hughes stated in a message this week. “But we respect the tribunal’s ruling to finish this situation without further delay. ”
A representative when it comes to Ontario Human Rights Tribunal would not directly respond to questions from the celebrity about why the situation has become continuing to closing submissions without Taverner’s testimony.
But she supplied two penned choices from situation adjudicator Jo-Anne Pickel, delivered to all events previously this current year, detailing tries to schedule Taverner’s testimony and accommodate any unique requirements.
In a Feb. 5 page, Pickel stated that when Taverner ended up being nevertheless unfit to testify after times have been set for their proof, “those times will likely to be terminated in addition to tribunal will go to get written submissions and also to hear shutting arguments through the events. ”
Taverner was straight right right back in the office since at the least January, taking part in exactly exactly exactly exactly what Toronto police called “a gradual return-to-work plan. ” Spokesperson Allison Sparkes stated Wednesday that Taverner remains on a graduated back-to-work plan that happens to be recommended by Ontario’s Workplace protection cameraprive movies and Insurance Board.
Amandi Esonwanne, an attorney for Toronto Police solutions Board, who will be called in McWilliam’s situation and had been Taverner that is calling as witness, stated he could perhaps not comment because their consumers never have authorized him to talk with the news. Taverner would not react to a contact comment that is seeking.
It is maybe not clear what Taverner, who’s in the 70s, ended up being doing straight away before he had been hurt on July 9, though their physician testified that the event wasn’t activities associated. He later visited Humber River Hospital, where he underwent a CT scan of their mind and was launched.
Taverner became the niche of extreme controversy in 2018 after he had been tapped to guide the Ontario Provincial Police before he bowed away from consideration in March 2019 over their ties to Ford. He could be nevertheless the machine commander of Toronto’s 23 Division, the Etobicoke detachment where McWilliam worked.
McWilliam, 37, is off work with a medical leave. Hughes has stated her customer had been once “a bright, promising officer” who has got placed her life on hold since filing her problem.
The claim alleges that the Toronto Police provider is a “poisoned” environment for feminine officers. Every single shift; one supervisor would ask her what she was wearing during phone calls, she told the tribunal during her seven years on the job, McWilliam alleges she heard sexual or sexist comments.
