An outgoing North Vancouver school trustee has filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment by a colleague, as well as alleging workplace bullying by other trustees.
Trustee Susan Skinner made the announcement at the end of the last public school board meeting Oct. 16, which was attended by several community members and school trustee candidates.
“Due to tremendous pressure in the media and in the community I want to report that prior to the meeting this evening I did provide my report on the sexual harassment perpetrated against me . . .” she said during her trustee report. “That’s not a fantastic way to end a tenure but it’s something that had to be done.”
Skinner has given sexual harassment as the reason she has only attended three public school board meetings in person in the past two years.
Skinner was not reelected to school board in Saturday's local government elections.
Board chair Christie Sacré confirmed last week that she had been handed a report by Skinner, just prior to the start of the Oct. 16 board meeting. “I’m not sure how to react,” she said. “I’m still quite floored by it.”
Sacré said at the advice of lawyers, the complaint and questions about how to handle it have now been forwarded to independent third-party lawyers who have not been involved in any previous investigations or consultations regarding board dysfunction at the school district. Sacré said she doesn’t know what impact the changes on the school board could have on the way the complaint is handled. “We take complaints seriously but we want to make sure it’s done fairly for all parties involved.”
