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 含羞草研究社渙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.含羞草研究社�

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 含羞草研究社渂latantly racist views of South Asian people and ongoing egregious conduct toward female staff and volunteers,含羞草研究社� the complaint contends.

The complaint also alleges key board members from the association 含羞草研究社� president Shannon Claypool, vice-presidents Dale Saip and Rich Kitos, and treasurer Gerry Spielmacher 含羞草研究社� 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 city含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渂y upholding a hostile and poisoned work environment and by failing to respond to race- and sex-based harassment,含羞草研究社� 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 city含羞草研究社檚 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 MacSorley含羞草研究社檚 inappropriate conduct in January of 2021.

Initially ignored, the emails eventually prompted a review that 含羞草研究社渨ent through the motions of an investigation含羞草研究社� into MacSorley含羞草研究社檚 conduct. But that was ultimately undermined by 含羞草研究社渄ismissive and sexist comments from MacSorley and the association含羞草研究社檚 executive directors,含羞草研究社� the complaint states.

But it did prompt MacSorley含羞草研究社檚 departure. On March 15, MacSorley abruptly resigned as GM. At the time, Claypool told Black Press that 含羞草研究社淢ike resigned for personal reasons.含羞草研究社�

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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 含羞草研究社渞acist and sexist work environment含羞草研究社� along with continuing to ignore new information and new instances of wrongdoing.

The complaint also asserts the CREA is still in 含羞草研究社渃ontinuous contravention含羞草研究社� of the Human Rights Code and claims the association failed 含羞草研究社渢o provide a harassment-free workplace含羞草研究社� and that this 含羞草研究社渕ay constitute a contravention含羞草研究社� of the Human Rights Code.

The complaint charges the association has 含羞草研究社渇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.含羞草研究社�

The court filing alleges, 含羞草研究社淭he Association is directly responsible for MacSorley含羞草研究社檚 racist and sexist conduct.含羞草研究社�

Lawyers representing the victims are seeking seven 含羞草研究社渞emedies,含羞草研究社� including: an order the 含羞草研究社淎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,含羞草研究社� among other demands.

Some of the incidents are detailed in the complaint.

The complaint contends MacSorley targeted South Asians with racist remarks, notably the CREA含羞草研究社檚 accountant, the only South Asian working in the office.

含羞草研究社淢acSorley would direct comments about 含羞草研究社榶ou people含羞草研究社� or 含羞草研究社榶our people含羞草研究社� at the accountant含羞草研究社� and then say after he was talking about 含羞草研究社渁ccountants not brown people,含羞草研究社� the complaint asserts.

The complaint contends MacSorley 含羞草研究社渞efused to interview or hire anyone he believed to have an Indo-Canadian name.含羞草研究社�

The complaint charges that Claypool 含羞草研究社渃ondoned MacSorley含羞草研究社檚 conduct and directly participated in the creation of a poisoned work environment,含羞草研究社� as Claypool was CREA含羞草研究社檚 president during MacSorley含羞草研究社檚 tenure as GM.

Under a subheading 含羞草研究社淢isogyny,含羞草研究社� the complaint also details incidents in which Claypool made 含羞草研究社渦nwelcome sexual advances toward female volunteers.含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渂itch含羞草研究社� to describe women. The complaint document claims MacSorley habitually told staff and volunteers, 含羞草研究社淗arass is two words 含羞草研究社� her ass含羞草研究社� whenever the question of sexual harassment arose 含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淔rom 2016 to 2019, MacSorley harassed this employee incessantly,含羞草研究社� 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 MacSorley含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社渢he harassment continued without any meaningful intervention.含羞草研究社�

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. 含羞草研究社淢acSorley became so irate with (the boss) that a security guard had to intervene,含羞草研究社� the complaint alleges.

The complaint says Claypool followed up with the contractor and told her she含羞草研究社檇 含羞草研究社渉ave to find a way含羞草研究社� to work with MacSorley. The contractor then raised her concerns directly with MacSorley but was told the rodeo board 含羞草研究社渉ad his back and would never fire him no matter what he did.含羞草研究社� The contractor was told to accept that or 含羞草研究社渟top being involved in the Cloverdale Rodeo.含羞草研究社�

The complaint contends that as of 2016, all four executive directors 含羞草研究社渄id little or nothing to respond to MacSorley含羞草研究社檚 misconduct or to create a safe and inclusive environment for women and South Asian people.含羞草研究社�

It also says MacSorley was antagonistic when anyone tried to address concerns about his behaviour and that he bragged about being called the 含羞草研究社淒ark Lord of Operations含羞草研究社� 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 didn含羞草研究社檛 see or hear of MacSorley making any racist or sexist remarks or comments. 含羞草研究社淣ot at all. Not at all.含羞草研究社�

Also commenting on Tuesday morning, MacSorley told the Reporter he wasn含羞草研究社檛 aware of any racist actions or sexual harassment on his part during his time as rodeo GM.

MacSorley also said he wasn含羞草研究社檛 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.

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 what she told me that I did. I don含羞草研究社檛 remember doing it. I just left because it wasn含羞草研究社檛 worth this,含羞草研究社� he said. He confirmed he did step down for personal reasons. 含羞草研究社淢y mom died. The rodeo hadn含羞草研究社檛 happened in a couple years. I含羞草研究社檓 60. People started hurling accusations at me for no reason and it was just time to go.含羞草研究社�

MacSorley said the accusations are untrue, but they did lead to him stepping down. 含羞草研究社淚t became a toxic place, and I was part of it, and people didn含羞草研究社檛 like me 含羞草研究社� it was time to go.含羞草研究社�

He said a human resources investigation was launched after a former employee quit, and sent emails and letters out to anyone that would listen.

含羞草研究社淭hey didn含羞草研究社檛 find any truth to (the accusations). The police investigated it as well,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淣othing was covered up. Simran (Bhullar) did an investigation. There was eight years of stuff. He talked to me about it. And I said, 含羞草研究社楨ight years? I might have done some stupid things, sure.含羞草研究社� But there was no malicious intent.含羞草研究社�

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).

含羞草研究社淭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 we含羞草研究社檙e reeling from it. We will study this with vigour and respond accordingly.

含羞草研究社淥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.含羞草研究社�

editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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