Recent reports of discrimination and abuse at Canadore College is prompting a rally tomorrow (Friday) called "Rally for a respectful Canadore workplace."
It will take place at the intersection of College Drive and Monastery Drive at 4 p.m.
A Facebook post for the event states, "Canadore College is an essential pillar of the Nipissing/North Bay community. Over 50 members of the Canadore community have made serious allegations about a senior executive at Canadore. The college has responded to those concerns by hiring a third party investigator. However, the investigation is being compromised by the ongoing presence on campus of the senior executive at the centre of the investigation.
"It has been published in the press that employees are reporting feeling afraid to be near the person in question and that they fear retribution for having shared their experiences. Failure to follow best practices in the investigation will cast a cloud over any findings produced by the investigation and could do permanent harm to Canadore's reputation.
"We are asking that that senior executive be placed on paid leave and not allowed on campus until the conclusion of the investigation. Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected and valued in their place of work. Please join us in solidarity with the employees in their struggle to ensure a safe Canadore workplace."
The rally apparently is a joint effort by Nipissing and Canadore employees, however, BayToday has been told that organizer's names are being kept under wraps for fear of reprisal.
The ongoing controversy is having a negative impact on the college's reputation and comes on the heels of a report from the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities two weeks ago that said that of 23 Community Colleges, Canadore College does poorly, ranking second at 57.6 per cent, behind only Loyalist, (59.7) in the "Sexual Harassment Experience Index."
See: Survey says: Canadore has second highest rate of reported sexual harassment of Ontario colleges
The Sexual Harassment Experience Index reflects the proportion of survey respondents who indicated that they experienced one or more incidents of sexual harassment since the beginning of the academic year.
So far the Canadore Board of Governors has been silent about that report and the ongoing allegations about a senior executive member.
