$13-million lawsuit accuses Corrections Canada of racism, sexism, bullying and intimidation

A former female warden has filed a $13-million lawsuit against Correctional Service of Canada alleging her 26-year career has left her suffering from post-traumatic stress, anger, depression, fear and humiliation.

The 28-page statement of claim filed Monday in Federal Court in Edmonton does not identify the woman "due to the confidential and secretive nature of law enforcement especially within Corrections [Canada]," insteadgiving her the pseudonymJaneDoe.

CBCis not naming the woman as some of her allegations involve sexual assault.

None of the allegations in the statement of claim have been tested in court. A statement of defence has not yetbeen filed.

The document describes the plaintiff asa former a national executive with Corrections Canadaalso known as Correctional Service of Canada andan Indo-Canadian resident of Ottawa who is "a hard-working, dedicated, high-performing employee."

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The woman beganher career as a psychologist in a maximum security prison in the Prairie region andover 26 yearsworked her way up the ranks in the correctional system.

She was subjected to racism, misogyny and sexual abusefrom the start, the statement says.

She fell victim to unwanted touching of her backside and genitalsandcolleaguespinched her breasts and deliberately brushed against her.

Whenever she complainedshe was ignored and, often,the harassment and intimidation would grow in frequency, the document says.

She was also subjected to intimidatingcomments suchas:"The inmates here are looking forward to getting you alone and having their way with you," and "I'd love to get up your skirt."

"There was and remains a pervasive old-boys-club mentality in the manner of how the penitentiary is operated and managed," the woman said in the statement.

"As persons in abusive situations learn to do, I learned to adapt and to accept abusive surroundings," she writes.

"I knew that if I did not conform to the expectations of the 'old boys' mentality of management style within Corrections Canada that I would be considered an outsider and that my career would be irreparably maligned."

Attacked by an inmate

The womaneventually got on the management track, eventually becoming a warden of a women's prison in Ontario.

In 2007, she was attackedat a psychiatric facility by an inmate and suffered life-threatening injuries.

She says she was made to feel she was at fault for the attackand was forced to return to work too soon.

Later that same year, she was moved to Ottawa to work at CSCnational headquarters, where she was named director general for women offenders.

But the discrimination, bullying and harassment continued, she says.

The commissioner of CorrectionsCanada was "abusive with his power" with "a reputation for being a bully and a tyrant who unfairly intimidated and pressured people to have his way."

Whena young female Indigenous inmatecommitted suicide in 2007, the woman allegesthe commissioner told his senior management team not to speak to her.

"As a result of this shunning, the plaintiff took an administrative leave," the lawsuit states.

While on leave, the womandiscovered she had advanced cancer.

"Her medical reports indicate that her advanced cancer was exacerbated by her stress and on-the-job duties," the statement claims.

When she returned to work, she was eventually named director of departmental security and acting director general security.

Edmonton Institution allegations

However,when word surfaced about troubleat the Edmonton Institution about harassment and sexual harassment in 2017, she was kept in the dark, she says.

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"The discussions and meetings that I know of were not about how to identify and eliminate systematic problems," she says in the lawsuit.

"Rather, the focus was more about how to ensure that a positive image of Corrections Canada was portrayed, despite management's knowledge of the problems."

She was forced to stay back in Ottawa while the top two CSC officials went to Edmonton, she said.

She was later ordered by the assistant commissioner to install security systems in the homes of certain Edmonton Institutionstaff members with instructions not to document anything.

"I knew from the lack of information and secrecy around the instructions that something was occurring improperly and that there may have been a cover up of some nature occurring," the woman claims in the lawsuit.

'Shecan't do the job'

In October2017, an email about her was circulated among staff at national headquarters which stated, "Working with women is a HUGE challenge!!! Shecan't do the job. OMGit's ridiculous. She's acting only because she's a minority."

Working with women is a HUGE challenge!!!- Email circulated among CSCNational HQ staff in 2017

According to the woman,the assistant commissioner of correctional operations wanted the email destroyed in case it hurt his boss's career. Later, he launched a breach of privacy investigation against the womanbecause she held onto a copy of the email.

When shewas demoted, shedecidedto leave CSC.

The plaintiffnow works for a different government department, but claims she is forever scarred by the continual abuse she suffered from fellow staff and management.

Shedescribes their conduct as "outrageous," that "it was intended to, and did cause the plaintiff emotional stress."

"During her tenure, the plaintiff was the subject of and witness to systematic and prolific racism, sexism, harassment and assault including bullying, intimidation and corruption tolerated and perpetuated by top senior officials within Corrections Canada," the lawsuit states.

The woman wants the civil trial to be held in Ottawa. Her lawyer is based in Edmonton.