(Image credit: TRU).

By Jim Gudjonson

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Investigation narrative woven by TRU, accepted by Rothenburger must be challenged

Jan 21, 2023 | 1:40 PM

RESPONDING TO MEL ROTHENBURGER, the Armchair Mayor’s opinion piece that summed up the TRU investigation as, “some allegations against one of them were substantiated, none of them against the other was.”

Ah, Mr. Rothenburger. If only the investigation could be summed up so neatly, so easily. And while the public might not have the right to know everything, it does have the right to be reminded of the weight of power and money, as well as the slipperiness of language: “unsubstantiated” does not mean exonerated; it simply means that the requirements for substantiation set by investigators paid for by TRU were not met.

What a terrible burden for those involved, indeed, but I might argue for a reconsideration of where you place your sympathy. You encourage readers to “imagine having allegations of misconduct made against you, and having to endure stories about it for almost two years, and for those allegations to be dismissed, but for [your identity] not to be revealed.” We know now that the identity of the senior administrator and recipient of so much of Mel’s sympathy is Matt Milovick, VP of Finance at TRU.

The narrative woven by TRU would have the public sympathize with a wounded Mr. Milovick, victimized by numerous individuals (many of whom didn’t know each other, remember, and many more who were excluded by the terms of reference set by TRU) who somehow all had similar allegations of racist —particularly, anti-Indigenous — and misogynistic comments and bullying behaviour.

I purport imagining an alternate — hypothetical, of course — situation:

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Two narratives, running unevenly: one, the “official” story, properly investigated by external investigators (again, paid for by TRU) and neutral, reportedly. Phrases like “trauma-informed” were consistently used to describe this investigation, as if stating it enough times made it so. However, should “trauma-informed” be used when Matt Milovick casually showed up to the same location where complainants were being interviewed? Is it “trauma-informed” for investigators to question the Indigeneity of an Indigenous complainant, asking why the complainant hadn’t shared their Indigenous heritage with colleagues while working at TRU? I’ll leave it to the savvy reader to speculate why one might not want to share one’s Indigenous heritage in an environment that is not safe.

The other narrative is a quieter one, more of an undercurrent: an open secret, the hallway remarks and hushed, fearful comments about the appalling behaviour of a powerful, white, senior administrator. If we’re continuing to imagine, then imagine being so assured of people’s fear of you that you could make racist and misogynistic comments in meetings regularly without fear of reprisal, and then facing multiple serious allegations about these comments and not being put on paid administrative leave. This courageous, alternate narrative is set against a much louder story of power, of hesitancy to disrupt the status quo… and of access to $1.02 million.

One last stretch of the imagination: what if the complainants had access to $1.02 million to hire their own investigators to protect their interests? How differently that process and that report might have looked. In reality, they did not. Without power, and with the very real fear of reprisal, they still spoke up with the hope that enough voices coming together would make someone listen. Imagine that fear, and that courage… and that despite having documented evidence and witnesses, their allegations were not substantiated.

The only message that this investigation, that TRU, sends, is this: we don’t want to address systemic issues. And despite President Fairbairn’s exhausting repetition, we don’t listen.

Seen in a bathroom in TRU Thursday (Jan. 19): 1.02 MILL TO PROTECT A RACIST. A team of expensive investigators and an entire department of communications professionals versus a sharpie on a bathroom garbage can. Two narratives.

How inequitable. How cowardly. How heartbreaking.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.