Leaked report details years of complaints, 'psychological bullying' of Mile One staff

A leaked report on alleged workplace misconduct at Mile One Centre in St. John's details complaints against Deacon Sports and Entertainment going back almost three years, noting incidents of intimidation and "psychological bullying."

The report, leaked to the media earlier this week, was prepared in March by St. John's management consultingfirm Goss Gilroy, which was brought in by theCity of St. John'sto investigate inJuly 2020, according to the report.

The 86-page report comes as the citycontinues an internal investigation that began whenthe city barred the Newfoundland Growlers, owned by Deacon Sports and Entertainment,from using Mile One Centre after officials receivedaccusationsof "disrespectful workplace conduct" in October.

According to the report,the investigator found senior employees of St. John's Sports and Entertainment, which operates the arena renamed Mary Brown's Centre earlier this month were subject to workplace harassment by employees, management and leadership of Mile One's tenants.

Although the St. John's Edge basketball team occupied the arena at the same time as the Growlers, the report says the majority of the problematic behaviour can be connectedto Growlers staff and management.

"The tenants repeated patterns of behaviour that were vexatiousand amounted to behaviour that they knew or ought reasonably to have known would cause intimidation, offence and humiliation in the workplace," the findings of the report read."Behaviours can be characterised as a repeated pattern of psychological bullying and intimidation."

CBC requested an interview withSJSE.In response, a lawyer representing the city said they would consider legal action if CBC reported on the leaked document. The response also said SJSEhas advised the privacy commissioner of the leak.

The report centres on two letters sent by a group of six senior SJSEemployees, dated April10 and May 14 of 2019. The letters detail a level of sustained harassment over 16 months, beginning in December 2017,to the point where it became an "acutely hostile work environment."

The nature of theenvironment led to elevated stress and anxiety, concerns over job security and concerns over findingfuture employment due to misrepresentation of the situation in the public eye, according to the report, which saystwo SJSEemployees took medical leave due to stress-related conditions.

A third letter sent to the SJSEboard in July 2019 said the situation had not changed since thefirst two letters. Employees called on the board to respond to the situation and asked them to respond to a lack of oversight.

Concerns were brought forward in 2018

In the second letter sent by SJSE employees, the employeessay they brought their concerns toacity and board representativein October 2018. However, the report says there wasn't a plan in place to address their concerns.

In the weeks that followed, the board sent a "detailed and stern letter" to Mile One Centre's tenants, which are named only "Tenant A" and "Tenant B" in the report. Due to specific details in the report, CBC has identified Tenant A as the Edge ownership group and Tenant B as the Growlers ownership group.

Tenant A met with the board three weeks after the letter was sent, apologizing to employeestreated poorly by anyone affiliated with the team.

Tenant Bdid not offer an apology, according to the report.

The report also states the board viewed a desire from both Dean MacDonald,owner of Deacon Sports and Entertainment, and the public to buy the arena from the city as a root of the problem, suggesting some Deacon staff were acting as if MacDonald already owned the arena.

As the toxic working conditions continued into 2019, the report says there was a time where the situation improved when a memorandum of understanding between the tenants and the city was cancelled.

The MOU, whichlaid the groundwork for theteamsassuming management of day-to-day operations at Mile One Centre,was cancelled in July 2019because a proposal from the ownership groupsincluded a subsidy from the city's taxpayers.

The work environment improved following the move, the report says,prompting the employee group toaskthe board to take the opportunity to address the working relationship with the tenants.

The report ultimately found the board didn't fulfil its duties of care and obedience toward its employees, adding the board had an obligation to respond fully in November 2018 as harassment continued.

Report is 'one-sided': MacDonald

Following a speaking event in Paradise Wednesday, MacDonald called the report "one-sided."

"I know from talking to my staff that pretty much all the facts I read in the report can be refuted by emails and information we have," MacDonald told reporters. "We're very enthusiastic to see the process run, and are very confident in our treatment of people."

According to the report,MacDonald's use of the media has affected SJSEemployees' well-being and leftthem feeling devalued.

WATCH: Dean MacDonald shares his thoughts on the leaked report with the CBC's Terry Roberts:

Deacon Sports owner responds to leaked report detailing bullying by staff members

3 years ago

Duration 3:23

Senior employees with St. John's Sports and Entertainment were subjected to workplace harassment by tenants, including members of Deacon Sports and Entertainment, according to a leaked report. Deacon President Dean MacDonald speaks with the CBC's Terry Roberts.

MacDonald who is, like the teams, not named in the report but identifiable through specific details has previously said SJSEemployees seemed to be "under duress" when staff started receiving customercomplaints on social media due to a ticketing problem earlier this year.

"I met with staff at Mile One in the first season we were there to say I understood that they may have some duress over us taking over management of the facility. I told them that they would be pleased because we'd have more jobs, we'd probably involve them in a profit-sharing program. I think it was a very honest and open discussion," he said.

MacDonald said he didn't know there was a report before it was leaked this week.

"We'll let all that legal crap run its course. This is management to management issue. And I think the investigation, when it happens, will prove that to be the case."

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