The former head of the Alberta New Democrats’ membership organization for people with disabilities has filed a human rights complaint against the party for discrimination.
Justin Reinke, the former co-chair of the NDP’s disability caucus, is alleging he was discriminated against and wrongfully dismissed from his role in retaliation for speaking out against mistreatment.
But in a statement Friday, the NDP pushed back, saying Reinke behaved aggressively with his fellow members, which led to his removal.
CBC News has obtained a copy of the human rights complaint and supporting documentation filed on Tuesday, less than a week before Alberta’s election.
Reinke alleges he witnessed and was subject to discrimination against disabled NDP members, as well as abuse of volunteers and staff by more senior members of the party.
This included a provincial council meeting last June, where he says a member in a wheelchair was wheeled out of the way without consent, jeering from the audience at disabled members during policy debate and the party failing to make accessibility supports available. The complaint says the washrooms were too small for a power chair and there were no closed captioning services for some sessions.
“There is an immense amount of ableism in the ANDP,” Reinke told the executive in an August report asking for the alleged discrimination to be addressed.
His complaint says he advocated for the resolution of these issues and allegations of bullying internally but was ignored. Reinke was removed shortly after from his role (a volunteer, elected position), which he alleges was retaliation for speaking up about his concerns.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and the Alberta Human Rights Commission’s confidentiality process means it’s unable to say whether the matter would be accepted and brought to a hearing. The Alberta Human Rights Act protects people from discrimination, including those with a physical or mental disability.
Counter-allegations and pushback
In a statement, the NDP said there had been six counter-complaints about Reinke’s conduct, including “violent threats” against volunteers and staff. They added that an investigation found he violated the party’s anti-harassment policy, and his membership was suspended. The current disability caucus also expressed that they’d had concerning incidents with Reinke, which they’d confronted him about.
“Those allegations are completely fabricated,” said Kathryn Marshall, Reinke’s lawyer and a partner with Levitt Sheikh LLP, calling it a campaign of intimidation and retaliation.
“None of this was raised at the time he was removed as co-chair.”
Kathryn Marshall, who is Reinke’s lawyer, says the NDP’s allegations about his conduct ‘are completely fabricated.’ (Paul Borkwood/CBC)
Reinke’s August report to the party executive asked them to take action against the “vile and shameful behaviour of multiple delegates against delegates with disabilities.”
“I would expect that behaviour from zoo animals. Make no mistake, these are serious violations of the human rights of disabled people,” he wrote. He sent several emails over the course of the summer with very strong language and accusations to the executive, which CBC News has obtained.
Reinke, who has a neurological disability, asked via email for NDP Leader Rachel Notley’s attendance at two meetings — one in early June to discuss allegations of bullying volunteers and one the night he sent the report to discuss the discrimination he’d raised. She was not at either, the complaint says.
Early in September, there was an emergency meeting of the disability caucus, where Reinke was removed as co-chair.
“The board felt that we needed a different approach to leadership that was more in touch with the executive board,” reads an email sent from the interim chair to Reinke that day.
He’s seeking $500,000 in damages and for the party to adopt his recommendations on inclusivity. There is a one-year time limit to file a complaint with the commission, which would set the expiration date for two weeks from now.
Clare Hickie, Reinke’s disability caucus co-chair, also resigned in July after the provincial council meeting citing “internal and external” pressures having a negative impact on her health in a letter obtained by CBC News.
Clare Hickie, who was co-chair of the NDP’s disability caucus, also resigned in July. (Justin Pennell/CBC)
Allegations of bullying
In a followup letter to party members included in the complaint, Reinke says he’s witnessed discrimination and intimidation against party volunteers from senior officials — such as being told it’s not politically prudent to campaign on disability issues.
He called for the resignation of several party executives as a result of the cumulative behaviour and complaints.
It’s not the first time an NDP volunteer has raised alarm about conduct in the party.
A letter sent in March 2022 by 15 NDP constituency presidents and regional vice-presidents to party brass outlined concerns with how the party was operating, particularly dealing with alleged favouritism in the nomination process and bullying.
It asked for more respect from senior party staff toward volunteers and constituency-level workers. It also asks for an independent review into reports of mistreatment of volunteers by party staff.
“We expect to be spoken to, and corresponded with, in a manner that upholds our party’s commitment to respect.”
Notley told the provincial council in June that the NDP would be asking an independent firm to look into those complaints — as well as examine the party’s human resources policy — as a result of the letter.
The NDP says HR training was completed among leadership staff in November and the audit was finished in the fall, with stronger harassment policies approved in March.
With the exception of the Reinke’s August report, the emails included in the complaint are light on specific details of instances of harassment or mistreatment
“The party has inflicted trauma and pain to many who were most loyal. That is how the membership is rewarded in the ANDP,” he wrote.
Reinke is asking the party to establish an accessibility committee, make more party business accessible online, add an accessibility policy to the party’s constitution, and for an apology from leadership.
The NDP says accommodations were made for disability caucus members to participate during the June council meeting.
Human rights complaints can be handled either through a conciliation process between the two parties or the matter is referred to a tribunal.
The complaint can go to a formal hearing if it’s not closed or dismissed before it reaches tribunal.
The commission says it opened 1,040 complaints in the 2021-22 fiscal year, 22 per cent of which were dealt with via the tribunal process.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State has asked a judge to decide key parts of its lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference without a trial, hoping for a quicker resolution and path to a possible exit from the league.
Florida State requested a partial summary judgment from Circuit Judge John Cooper in a 574-page document filed earlier this week in Leon County, the Tallahassee-based school’s home court.
Florida State sued the ACC in December, challenging the validity of a contract that binds member schools to the conference and each other through media rights and claiming the league’s exit fees and penalties for withdrawal are exorbitant and unfair.
In its original compliant, Florida State said it would cost the school more than half a billion dollars to break the grant of rights and leave the ACC.
“The recently-produced 2016 ESPN agreements expose that the ACC has no rights to FSU home games played after it leaves the conference,” Florida State said in the filing.
Florida State is asking a judge to rule on the exit fees and for a summary judgment on its breach of contract claim, which says the conference broke its bylaws when it sued the school without first getting a majority vote from the entire league membership.
The case is one of four active right now involving the ACC and one of its members.
The ACC has sued Florida State in North Carolina, claiming the school is breaching a contract that it has signed twice in the last decade simply by challenging it.
The judge in Florida has already denied the ACC’s motion to dismiss or pause that case because the conference filed first in North Carolina. The conference appealed the Florida decision in a hearing earlier this week.
Clemson is also suing the ACC in South Carolina, trying to find an affordable potential exit, and the conference has countersued that school in North Carolina, too.
The dispute is tied to the ACC’s long-term deal with ESPN, which runs through 2036, and leaves those schools lagging well behind competitors in the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten when it comes to conference-payout revenue.
Florida State has said the athletic department is in danger of falling behind by as much as $40 million annually by being in the ACC.
“Postponing the resolution of this question only compounds the expense and travesty,” the school said in the latest filing.
The ACC has implemented a bonus system called a success initiative that will reward schools for accomplishments on the field and court, but Florida State and Clemson are looking for more as two of the conference’s highest-profile brands and most successful football programs.
The ACC evenly distributes revenue from its broadcast deal, though new members California, Stanford and SMU receive a reduced and no distribution. That money is used to fund the pool for the success initiative.
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QUEBEC – Australian road cyclist Michael Matthews raced to victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec on Friday.
Matthews earned a record third career victory in Quebec City. He was previously tied with Slovakia’s Peter Sagan with two wins.
The Jayco-AlUla rider won the fastest edition of the Quebec race on the UCI World Tour calendar.
Matthews, who claimed titles in 2018 and 2019, edged out Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay and France’s Rudy Molard in a thrilling sprint.
Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar, the heavy favourite, was unable to follow through with his attack launched just over two kilometres from the finish line. He finished in seventh place.
Pogacar will look to redeem himself at the Montreal cycling Grand Prix on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps have loaned midfielder Jay Herdman to Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League and rewarded two Whitecaps FC 2 players with MLS contracts.
Midfielder Jeevan Badwal signed as a homegrown player through 2027, with options for 2028 and 2029, while forward Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau signed an MLS contract through 2025, with club options for 2026 and 2027.
Both have been playing for the Whitecaps’ MLS Next Pro team along with the 20-year-old Herdman, the son of Toronto FC coach John Herdman.
The moves were made before Friday’s MLS and CPL roster freeze.
Born in New Zealand while his father was working for the New Zealand Football Federation, Jay Herdman was also part of the New Zealand soccer team at the Paris Olympics with three appearances including two starts. Herdman’s loan deal runs through the end of the CPL season.
“Jay is an important signing for us, who will provide another attacking option for the run-in,” Cavalry coach and GM Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said in a statement. “He’s a player that we’ve been tracking since we played against Whitecaps in pre-season and he has very good quality, with terrific energy and the ability to contribute to goals.
“With the recent injury to Mael Henry, Jay’s positional profile and age helps us with on-field options and minutes that count towards the league’s required 2,000 U-21 domestic minutes during the regular season.”
Badwal, an 18-year-old from suburban Surrey, is the 26th academy player to sign an MLS contract with the Whitecaps.
“Having joined our academy in 2019, Jeevan continues to progress through our club and takes every challenge in stride,” Whitecaps FC sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement. “He is comfortable on the ball, positionally sound, and does the simple things very well. We are excited for Jeevan to make the next step in his young career.”
Badwal has made 19 appearances with Whitecaps 2 this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists. A Canadian youth international, he started all three matches for Canada at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup
Badwal made his first-team debut off the bench in the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal against Pacific FC.
Chateau was originally selected 74th overall by the Whitecaps in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft after spending two years at St. John’s University.
The 22-year-old from Ottawa signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Whitecaps FC 2 in March. He leads Whitecaps FC 2 in goal-scoring this season with eight goals across 21 appearances (including eight starts).
“Nicolas leads MLS NEXT Pro in shots on target, has a very strong work rate and willpower. We are looking forward to seeing his growth as he builds on his young professional career,” said Schuster.
Chateau made his first-team debut as a second-half substitute at CF Montreal on July 6.
Herdman, who joined the Whitecaps academy as a 13-year-old, has made 19 appearances for Whitecaps FC 2 in 2024, scoring six goals and adding three assists. He made his MLS debut in April as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 victory at the Seattle Sounders.
Internationally, Herdman has represented New Zealand 29 times across the U-19, U-20, and U-23 sides. He was part of New Zealand’s squad at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, starting three matches at the tournament and scoring against Uzbekistan.
The Whitecaps host San Jose on Saturday while Cavalry entertains Atletico Ottawa on Sunday.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024
