A Windsor police officer currently in the midst of a Human Rights Tribunal has launched a new complaint.
The new proceeding initiated by Staff Sergeant Christine Bissonnette alleges she was overlooked for the position of deputy chief in 2018 because of her age, disability and reprisal for her first human rights case against the police service.
In this case, Bissonnette has named mayor Drew Dilkens as the chair of the Windsor Police Services Board, as well as hiring firm, Odgers Berndston.
In her opening statements on Friday, Bissonnettte argued the hiring firm was acting only as a puppet for the Windsor Police Services Board chair.
Bissonnette claims to have a 32-year discipline-free service record, to go along with her extensive policing resume, making her the most qualified candidate for the job of deputy chief.
That's why she's launched a new Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario proceeding.
She alleges "disturbing practices" on the part of the Windsor Police Services Board and Odgers Berndston during the recent hiring process for deputy chief.
During her opening statement Friday, Bissonnette said her evidence will demonstrate continued discrimination practices against her.
She points to three things: her work absence due to an identified disability, her age and seniority with the force, and reprisal for previously filing human rights tribunal applications.
She also argues that Odgers Berndston was brought on to undertake the hiring process, but only for the appearance of fairness.
Bissonnette claims she was the first of six candidates for the job to be eliminated, a move she characterizes as "a course of vexatious conduct by not allowing (her) to participate further in the process."
Bissonnette also claims the process that ultimately led to the hiring of Pam Mizuno and Brad Hill was pre-determined during succession planning meetings. She calls this a cultural norm within the police service that regularly overlooks merit and instead favours alliances, nepotism, cronyism and tokenism.
She argues the hiring consultant for Odgers Berndston “Tanya Todorovic was simply a puppet for the police services board chair" and that the firm "did a disservice to this community by accepting payment for facilitating a charade of a process."
Odgers Berndston council Jodi Solomon counters the firm took part in a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory process.
Solomon says there was no discrimination, that hiring consultant Todorovic had no knowledge of Bissonnette's age, disability or previous human rights complaints.
Suzanne Porter, who represents the police service board, says both people hired as deputy chief held a higher rank and one had more experience.
This was just the first hearing of presumably many, in this most recent complaint.
Bissonnette is representing herself and plans to summon as witnesses Dilkens, other members of the police service board, employees of Odgers Berndston, all other candidates in the hiring process and the chief of police.
Bissonnette's previous human rights tribunal over alleged gender-based discrimination will resume next week.
All parties involved, as well as Dilkens, declined to comment.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
