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 鈥渙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.鈥�
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 鈥渂latantly racist views of South Asian people and ongoing egregious conduct toward female staff and volunteers,鈥� the complaint contends.
The complaint also alleges key board members from the association 鈥� president Shannon Claypool, vice-presidents Dale Saip and Rich Kitos, and treasurer Gerry Spielmacher 鈥� 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鈥檚 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 鈥渂y upholding a hostile and poisoned work environment and by failing to respond to race- and sex-based harassment,鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 inappropriate conduct in January of 2021.
Initially ignored, the emails eventually prompted a review that 鈥渨ent through the motions of an investigation鈥� into MacSorley鈥檚 conduct. But that was ultimately undermined by 鈥渄ismissive and sexist comments from MacSorley and the association鈥檚 executive directors,鈥� the complaint states.
But it did prompt MacSorley鈥檚 departure. On March 15, MacSorley abruptly resigned as GM. At the time, Claypool told Black Press that 鈥淢ike resigned for personal reasons.鈥�
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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 鈥渞acist and sexist work environment鈥� along with continuing to ignore new information and new instances of wrongdoing.
The complaint also asserts the CREA is still in 鈥渃ontinuous contravention鈥� of the Human Rights Code and claims the association failed 鈥渢o provide a harassment-free workplace鈥� and that this 鈥渕ay constitute a contravention鈥� of the Human Rights Code.
The complaint charges the association has 鈥渇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.鈥�
The court filing alleges, 鈥淭he Association is directly responsible for MacSorley鈥檚 racist and sexist conduct.鈥�
Lawyers representing the victims are seeking seven 鈥渞emedies,鈥� including: an order the 鈥淎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,鈥� 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鈥檚 accountant, the only South Asian working in the office.
鈥淢acSorley would direct comments about 鈥榶ou people鈥� or 鈥榶our people鈥� at the accountant鈥� and then say after he was talking about 鈥渁ccountants not brown people,鈥� the complaint asserts.
The complaint contends MacSorley 鈥渞efused to interview or hire anyone he believed to have an Indo-Canadian name.鈥�
The complaint charges that Claypool 鈥渃ondoned MacSorley鈥檚 conduct and directly participated in the creation of a poisoned work environment,鈥� as Claypool was CREA鈥檚 president during MacSorley鈥檚 tenure as GM.
Under a subheading 鈥淢isogyny,鈥� the complaint also details incidents in which Claypool made 鈥渦nwelcome sexual advances toward female volunteers.鈥� 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 鈥渂itch鈥� to describe women. The complaint document claims MacSorley habitually told staff and volunteers, 鈥淗arass is two words 鈥� her ass鈥� whenever the question of sexual harassment arose 鈥� 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.
鈥淔rom 2016 to 2019, MacSorley harassed this employee incessantly,鈥� 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鈥檚 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 鈥渢he harassment continued without any meaningful intervention.鈥�
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. 鈥淢acSorley became so irate with (the boss) that a security guard had to intervene,鈥� the complaint alleges.
The complaint says Claypool followed up with the contractor and told her she鈥檇 鈥渉ave to find a way鈥� to work with MacSorley. The contractor then raised her concerns directly with MacSorley but was told the rodeo board 鈥渉ad his back and would never fire him no matter what he did.鈥� The contractor was told to accept that or 鈥渟top being involved in the Cloverdale Rodeo.鈥�
The complaint contends that as of 2016, all four executive directors 鈥渄id little or nothing to respond to MacSorley鈥檚 misconduct or to create a safe and inclusive environment for women and South Asian people.鈥�
It also says MacSorley was antagonistic when anyone tried to address concerns about his behaviour and that he bragged about being called the 鈥淒ark Lord of Operations鈥� 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鈥檛 see or hear of MacSorley making any racist or sexist remarks or comments. 鈥淣ot at all. Not at all.鈥�
Also commenting on Tuesday morning, MacSorley told the Reporter he wasn鈥檛 aware of any racist actions or sexual harassment on his part during his time as rodeo GM.
MacSorley also said he wasn鈥檛 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.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what she told me that I did. I don鈥檛 remember doing it. I just left because it wasn鈥檛 worth this,鈥� he said. He confirmed he did step down for personal reasons. 鈥淢y mom died. The rodeo hadn鈥檛 happened in a couple years. I鈥檓 60. People started hurling accusations at me for no reason and it was just time to go.鈥�
MacSorley said the accusations are untrue, but they did lead to him stepping down. 鈥淚t became a toxic place, and I was part of it, and people didn鈥檛 like me 鈥� it was time to go.鈥�
He said a human resources investigation was launched after a former employee quit, and sent emails and letters out to anyone that would listen.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 find any truth to (the accusations). The police investigated it as well,鈥� he said. 鈥淣othing was covered up. Simran (Bhullar) did an investigation. There was eight years of stuff. He talked to me about it. And I said, 鈥楨ight years? I might have done some stupid things, sure.鈥� But there was no malicious intent.鈥�
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).
鈥淭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鈥檙e reeling from it. We will study this with vigour and respond accordingly.
鈥淥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.鈥�
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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