Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

TRU ALLEGATIONS

Calls for TRU to waive non-disclosure agreements for all future harassment cases

Nov 26, 2021 | 11:02 AM

KAMLOOPS — The TRU Faculty Association feels the university should scrap non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for all future harassment cases.

The university confirms it has waived the NDAs for the dozen current and former employees that have anonymously come forward with allegations of sexist, racist and bullying behaviour by senior administrators Matt Milovick and Larry Phillips. The allegations have not been proven.

“Complainants who work confidentially with the investigators in the current investigation are not violating any NDAs agreed to by them as part of a settlement,” the university emailed CFJC Today in a statement.

TRUFA President Tara Lyster, who represents all faculty on campus, wants TRU to reach out to other former employees who previously left under severance agreements. The association also wants the university to ban or waive NDAs for all future harassment complaints.

“TRUFA is calling on the removal of NDAs, as they are very silencing to people involved in these complaints. You’re not able to speak the truth of what’s happened in the situation,” noted Lyster.

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Phillips responded to CFJC Today via email this week with a short reply, saying, “It sounds like there may be an investigation and if so I will participate.”

Matt Milovick, TRU’s Vice-President of Finance and Administration, and Larry Phillips, the university’s Association Vice-President of People and Culture, are facing serious allegations of harassment and discrimination against former and current TRU employees (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

CUPE 4879, the union representing all other employees at TRU, says it understands that non-disclosure agreements are necessary when coming to a settlement with outgoing employees.

However, President Lois Rugg says they should be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

“If individuals, in the case at TRU, are found to have committed harassment or discrimination, we don’t agree that there should be a non-disclosure deal that would protect the senior administrators who may have caused harm to members of the TRU community,” Rugg told CFJC Today.

Echoing TRUFA’s sentiments, Rugg feels employees and students need to feel safe to bring concerns forward, whatever they may be.

The university says the current investigation is specific to individuals represented by the anonymous email sent Feb. 8 to TRU’s Board of Governors.

“Any other individuals with workplace concerns should raise those with their supervisor or may contact the university’s Human Rights Officer,” reads a statement.

Meantime, Lyster says with Phillips remaining in his human resources position — responsibility for a lot of the hiring of staff at TRU — it puts employees in an awkward position.

“There is a concern that the AVP of People and Culture is the person that all faculty and staff go to with concerns, so it definitely is putting faculty in an interesting position, and TRUFA at this point, as we continue to move through this and continue our work,” noted Lyster.

On Monday (Nov. 22), when news broke of these allegations, TRUFA called on the university to put both Milovick and Phillips on leave until the investigation is complete in the new year.