BCIT investigating case of ‘sexual misconduct’ on Burnaby campus

By Simon LittleOnline Journalist Global News

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BCIT says it is investigating a case of “sexual misconduct” that is alleged to have happened on its Burnaby campus last week.

According to an email bulletin penned by BCIT’s director of safety, security and emergency management Glen Magel, the incident happened at the campus track and field facility around 6 p.m. on Friday, and involved “inappropriate touching of a BCIT community member by a passing male on a bike.”

The institution said it has reported the incident to police, and that it was reviewing video footage and had offered support to the alleged victim.

BCIT would not say whether the parties involved were students, citing privacy legislation.

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The institution described the incident as “rare,” but directed students and staff to be aware of safety and security on campus, and directed them to BCIT’s Safety Wise app.

It’s not the first case of sexual misconduct reported on campus in recent years.

In 2018, the school sent out a safety notice when a man was arrested for allegedly using a cell phone to take photos in a women’s washroom.

And in 2016, the school faced criticism over its handling of another alleged incident of voyeurism, again involving a cell phone — this time in a men’s washroom.

The food services company Compass group posted a SOP for handling the Workplace sexual Harassment . on page two. It said: (a) Sexual harassment is any unwelcome behaviour which is sexual in nature. Some examples are
physical contact which makes a person feel uncomfortable, persistently using sexually suggestive
language which another person finds offensive demeaning or otherwise inappropriate displays of
offensive visual and/or audio material, a preferred schedule or job promotion being denied because of
refusal to provide certain sexual favours.
To be considered sexual harassment the actions or words must be unwelcome, unsolicited, expressly
or implicitly known to be unwelcome by the offender, continue despite the complainant's protest or if
the conduct stops, the complainant's protests must have led to negative consequences at work. It is
not considered harassment when people mutually consent to a relationship, when it's a hug between
friends, or a mutual flirtation.

SOP of Compass group of how to report the sexual harrament are following steps:

Procedure
If you are being harassed or bullied, do not ignore it.
(a) Tell the individual that their behaviour is unwelcome and ask them to stop.
(b) If the individual continues in the behaviour which you have indicated is offensive, report the
problem, in writing to one of the following persons – your immediate supervisor, the District Manager,
the Regional Manager or your union staff representative.
(c) When you report the incident, make it clear that you are filing a formal complaint. Discussing a
complaint with another employee is not enough, you must file a formal, written complaint with one of
the above persons.
(d) A written complaint shall specify the details of the allegation(s) including:
• Name and title;
• a description of the action(s), conduct, events or circumstances involved in the complaint;
• the specific remedy sought to satisfy the complaint;
• date(s) of incidents;
• name(s) of witnesses (if any);
• prior attempts to resolve (if any).

Notes:
1) https://globalnews.ca/news/5498047/bcit-sexual-misconduct/
2) Compass SOP to handler sexual harassment :
http://www.bcbargaining.ca/content/1715/Compass%20Fraser%20Valley%20BCGEU%202015-2020.pdf