Greens in turmoil over handling of internal probe into executive director's past conduct

As it heads into its leadership contest, astruggle is playing out on theGreen Party's federal councilover whether the party's executive director Prateek Awasthi should resign over pastbehaviour and harassment complaints, CBC News has learned.

Multiple peopleon the partycouncil tell CBC News the body is divided overwhetherAwasthishould continuein his current role.Party president Jean-Luc Cookeresigned, a council member quit the party entirely, two of Green leadership candidate Meryam Haddad'scampaignstaffers have quitand other grassroots members have threatened to leave the party over the dispute.

"I feel like there's a ticking bomb ... in the party," said Haddad. "Us, the party, the establishment trying to hide certain allegations ... The party's covering up all of this."

The party hired Awasthi in May. During his job interview, Awasthi disclosed his version of events that transpired at hisprevious workplace,Engineers Without Borders (EWB), but he did not tell the partythat he'd personally facedharassment allegations at EWB, according to interim Green Party leader Jo-Ann Roberts.

Awasthi told the party he was part of EWB management's"efforts to disparage and ignore claims of sexual harassment and assault," according to an internal investigation report written by outgoing leader Elizabeth May and leaked to CBC News.

That report saysAwasthitold the party hehad ignored tweets about harassment based onlegal advice and "in the spirit of loyalty without realizing that in doing so, I was unknowingly discrediting a survivor of sexual violence."

"I do not support what has happened," said former Green federal council member Lorraine Hewlett, who stepped down from the council, the human resources committee and the party altogether in response to the controversy.

"Part of my resignation was in protest against that. I do not want to be associated with the retention of this employee...When it comes to the 'Me Too' movement, I wanted to come down on the right side of this issue."

Awasthi later told council he apologized to the complainant, took responsibility and resigned from EWB.

"I didn't know what I had done was wrong, but the moment I was called out, I stopped, I stepped back, did everything I could to correct my mistakesand took personal accountability for my actions (and inactions)," Awasthi wrote in a letter to the Greens' federalcouncil on July 18.

"I feel disappointed in myself and others for not having adopted a survivor-centric approach from day one."

Awasthi said in his letter to the council thatwhen he disclosed his "mistakes" at the EWBto the Green party officials vetting him, they"agreedthat this experience would be an asset for theGPCif ever we deal with a similar situation in the future." He also said heoffered to resign if the party thinks he's unfit for the job.

Roberts said sheconsiders the mattera confidential human resourcesissue.

"The hiring committee looked into it and we determined that it did not disqualify Mr. Awasthi as a candidate," said Roberts.

The hiring committee did not shareAwasthi'saccount of his experience at EWBwith the party's council, however. According to May's report, it doesn't appear thatanyone from the party tried to verify Awasthi's version of events.

"I do believe that this should have been brought to council, but I can tell you it was an oversight," said Roberts. "It wasn't intentional to hide this."

Two of the EWBcomplainants whospoke to CBC NewsaccusedAwasthiof harassment, saying hewas aggressive in meetings, talked to employees in a demeaning tone and contributed to a toxic work environment.

According to internal emails viewed by CBC News,an internal EWBinvestigation found no evidence ofharassment as of June 2019 and addedthe organization'shuman resources departmentconcludedthere was a workplace conflictin Awasthi's team.

A third former employee at EWB, Chelsey Rhodes, accusedAwasthi of taking part in an effort to discredit her personal reputation and her work. Rhodes said shewas a victim of harassment at EWBand that shebroke her non-disclosure agreement to speak up about systemic harassment and cover-ups in the humanitarian aid, development and NGO sector. She said she launched anonline projectto gather stories from other alleged victims and tweeted several of her claims about Awasthi's workplace behaviour directly atMay.

In a statement to CBC News, Awasthi said he's been "open" about his "brief role in the [EWB's] response to claims that it had failed to properly address a case of sexual harassment that occurred in 2011."He said thatwhen he learned in 2019 thatinformation he had was in dispute,he corrected the record and apologized.

"I have every confidence in the Green Party's internal processes," he said."I will not comment further. Our focus is now on preparing the organization to welcome the new leader."

When CBC Newsreached out to EWBCanada for comment, the organization referred to anAugust 2019 public statement, in which it said it hadconducted afull reviewwith input from Rhodes, andtwo independent legal reviewsconfirmed its position that "EWB's duty of care was fulfilled through our mediated process."

The statement also said EWB has banned the use of non-disclosure agreements in personnel matters and established a "clear and accessible" complaints policy and procedure.

"However, we do acknowledge (Chelsey Rhodes')truth, and regret her negative experience with EWB," the statement said.

May's investigation

May launched her own internal investigation in July and spoke to former EWB employees. According to her internal report, Mayheard claims thatAwasthi picked on a female EWB staffer, driving her to tears on occasion, and that there was one case of an inappropriate sexual suggestion at EWB.

"There was no reason to believe Awasthi was involved in sexual harassment or assault. Ever," saida confidential email from May on July 25 to the federalcouncil.

"I do believe he bullied junior staff in the spring of 2019, but has amended his conduct and learned from his experience," she wrote. "We, as a party, are at a perilous moment. We are on the verge of a public lynching of an innocent human being."

May wrote in her report that the Greens needed toprepare forthe media getting wind of thestory.

"He has as some could argue done nothing that would damage us as an organization," she said. "Still, we know that there is a high degree of trauma around such incidents and the reputational risk may not be survivable.On this, I hope [the Green Party]gets expert advice."

May told CBC News herreport was written months ago, was never "definitive"and a lot has changed since then. She said she was trying to help the federal council do its due diligence and not leap to any conclusions that would run"a risk of having a split within the party."

"Anything that was written in a confidential message months agodoes not represent my current views,"May said today. "We've done more investigation, we have to move toward consensus,and my view throughout has been that my own position was neutral."

The interim leader said May's report's findings were significantbutshould be subjected to an outside review.

"It does point to the need for us to have a third party investigate this further if we're going to take any other actions," said Roberts.

'Shocked and heartbroken'

The Greens'federal council privately voted in August to accept Awasthi's resignation, according to multiple council members. Party president Cooke who supported keeping Awasthi in the job resigned immediately afterward, tweeting that "an in-camera (closed doors) decision of council forced me into this decision.

"I offered to be reappointed if several members of council resign. I'll find other ways to help the world until then."

Roberts said thatvote is indispute now because it mayconflictwith a decision made atan earlier councilmeeting. She would not disclose the nature of that decision, calling it confidential.

May said proper notice of the vote wasn't given, the decision contradicted an earlier motionand more time was needed to try to come to a consensus.

Multiple council members who spoke toCBC Newscalled it "deeply disturbing" that partyexecutives did not respect that vote.

"I was very disturbed the democratic rules weren't being followed," said Hewlett. "The results of that voting process were ignored and not implemented."

The situation has also affectedthe Green leadership race. Haddadsaid she was encouraged by other Green members to send a letter supporting Awasthiand saying he hadcreated a safe space in the partyfor individuals like herself an immigrant lesbian born in Syria. Later, she said, shethought twice about the initial letter and sent a second one saying that the partyshould embracea zero tolerance policy on workplace harassment.

Haddadsaid her campaign manager and press secretary both of whomsupported keeping Awasthiquit her campaign over the controversy. She said the party'scredibility as a champion of themarginalized is at stake.

"Green values are what we are representing on the outside. But what goes on inside, it'ssomething hideouswhich is unacceptable," said Haddad."Change must happen."

Green Party memberBonnie North told CBC Newsshe was subjected to sexual harassment andsexual assault during hertwo decades in the Canadian Armed Forces. She calls the Greensvetting process one of"wild incompetence."

"I'm both shocked and heartbroken," said North, adding she and other membersare threatening to leave the party over the controversy. "The Green Party of Canada is not the place for him to greenwash his reputation. If he needs redemption, then he should find redemption elsewhere."

May's local campaign manager in the last election, Michael Strumberger, recently stepped away from the Greens after six years. He said the party has a problem with top-down, opaquedecision-making.

"There's no accountability," said Strumberger. "Members don't have a lot of visibility into the decisions that are made. More and more, our federal council, our governing board is operating in-camera and obviously not reporting what happens. So that's a pattern."

Awasthi's probationary period at work expires on Sunday theday after the new leader will be announced.