Thread by @jennierussell_

NEW: Leduc fire chief George Clancy has resigned.

Yesterday, @charlesrusnell and I approached Clancy and the city re: the chief’s behaviour during an investigation into alleged sexual harassment and bullying of women firefighters. (Thread)

globalnews.ca/news/8693997/l…

#leduc #yeg

Two firefighters, Christa Steele and Mindy Smith, have launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against the city, alleging many years of abuse by coworkers, sometimes escalating to the point of sexual assault.

Background here via @breanna_ks:

globalnews.ca/news/8670854/l…

The lawsuit does not accuse Clancy of sexual assault or harassment. But it claims he and other senior managers oversaw a toxic work environment that belittled and targeted women.

Charles and I obtained an Alberta Health Services letter to Smith. It said her private health information, from a Jan 2020 call, was “improperly disclosed” to Clancy.

It also said her health info was improperly accessed 3 times.

“It just feels like I have no privacy or anything,” Smith told us. “It is just a very helpless, violating feeling.” She claims it was retaliation for her allegations.

Smith says she complained to Leduc HR but was told this was simply “operational oversight.”

We also obtained numerous memes Clancy posted to his personal Facebook page in 2021, while a third-party investigation into the women’s allegations was underway. Both Steele and Smith said they viewed these memes as clearly targeting them for coming forward.

Here’s one:

“They were intimidating and threatening. And I think he was sending a message,” Steele told us.

Yesterday, we reached out to Clancy and the City of Leduc for interviews. The city said it could not comment because of the lawsuit.

Clancy said the same, in an email at 12:25 p.m. today. His signature listed him as fire chief and director of emergency management.

At 1:03 p.m., Clancy emailed fire dept staff.

“It is with a heavy heart that I must share with you my decision to leave our services following 31 years of service to this great community,” he wrote.

He called it a “very difficult decision” made “out of respect for my health.”

Clancy’s email said he was proud of the work environment he had created, one that was “diverse and inclusive.”

The city also confirmed Clancy’s departure, saying he “has made a personal decision to step away from the City of Leduc.”

The former deputy chief of operations, Broderick Moore, has replaced Clancy as chief.

A third-party firm, Veritas Solutions, finished its investigation into the women’s allegations months ago. The city has had those findings since at least January but says it will not release them publicly.

Steele says after years of inaction, the city is only finally addressing the issue because of media attention.

She calls Clancy’s resignation “a step in the right direction,” but says it won’t fix a workplace that is rife with abuse.

A reminder to send tips in confidence to Charles and me at [e-mail]. Signal is also an option, and DMs are open.