JUN 27, 2003 |
CANADIAN PRESS NEWSWIRE |
Mountie husband shaken by racist remarks, wife tells Montreal tribunal
MONTREAL (CP) _ A former RCMP officer's wife says her husband's confidence was shaken during his Mountie training _ and racism was to blame.
Nathalie Cerrato testified Friday at a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of her husband Jean-Luc Morin, 29.
Morin, who is black, has alleged racial harassment is the reason he was ousted from the RCMP. He says racial overtones guided the men responsible for evaluating his performance at an RCMP detachment in Burnaby, B.C.
He now works as an explosives expert in the security section of Dorval International Airport.
Morin is suing for reinstatement, $300,000 in damages and a public apology.
The confidence her husband had after his training at the RCMP academy in Regina waned once Burnaby Const. John Haney became his supervisor, Cerrato, who is white, testified.
"It started when his trainer called him Obo," Cerrato said, referring to the nickname Haney gave Morin after seeing a used car whose asking price was followed by the acronym, which means "or best offer."
Morin was hurt when he discovered that Obo was also a slavery term from colonial America that had a "racist connotation," she said.
Her husband also felt slurred when Haney called him "Kirby Puckett-Ass," a reference to the former Minnesota Twins centre-fielder, who is black.
Haney also singled out her husband by timing Morin's report-writing with a stop watch. Morin testified no other recruits were timed with a stopwatch.
The hearing has adjourned until Oct. 20.
(Montreal Gazette)
JUN 25, 2003 |
BROADCAST NEWS |
MONTREAL -- A federal government lawyer says incompetence, not discrimination, cost a black man his job with the R-C-M-P.
MONTREAL -- A federal government lawyer says incompetence, not discrimination, cost a black man his job with the R-C-M-P.
Alain Prefontaine says a racism complaint by former officer Jean-Luc Morin is unfounded.
He says Morin was fired from the R-C-M-P detachment in Burnaby, B-C, six years ago solely because of poor job evaluations.
The Justice Department lawyer made the comments during a break in Morin's Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearing in Montreal.
Morin alleges racial harassment, saying racial overtones guided the men responsible for evaluating his job performance prior to his dismissal in 1997.
The airport security officer is seeking 300-thousand dollars in compensation, an apology from the RCMP and restoration of his job as a Mountie.
Morin testified last week that he was the butt of racist remarks, and that he was treated more harshly than other recruits.
(APB)
dnh
JUN 24, 2003 |
CANADIAN PRESS NEWSWIRE |
Incompetence, not racism, got black Mountie fired:government lawyer
ANN CARROLL
MONTREAL (CP) _ Incompetence, not discrimination, cost a black man his job with the RCMP, a federal government lawyer said Tuesday.
Justice Department lawyer Alain Prefontaine said Jean-Luc Morin's racism complaint is unfounded, adding Morin was fired from the RCMP detachment in Burnaby, B.C., in 1997 solely because of poor job evaluations.
"He insists he never had any positive evaluations, and that he was a victim of discrimination, but the allegations are far from being proved," Prefontaine told reporters during a break in Morin's Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearing.
Morin, of Montreal, has alleged racial harassment, saying racial overtones guided the men responsible for evaluating his job performance prior to his dismissal in December 1997.
The Dorval airport security officer is seeking $300,000 in compensation, an apology from the RCMP and restoration of his job as a Mountie.
In testimony last week before the tribunal, Morin said he was the butt of racist remarks, and that he was treated more harshly than other recruits.
In one instance, Morin said Const. Dwayne McDonald drew a figure with a big nose and big lips, pointed to another black officer in an adjoining car and laughed.
Morin also recalled that a black recruit once remarked that McDonald's tie was dirty, only to have McDonald shoot back, "Yeah, but who looks dirtier between you and me?"
During cross-examination Tuesday, Prefontaine cited both positive and negative reviews from Morin's supervisor, RCMP Const. John Haney.
"Slow, but better," read Haney's report of a criminal investigation by Morin in January 1997, Prefontaine noted.
Haney also complained Morin took too much time to finish work at a crime scene, had trouble filling out incident reports and didn't seek advice from his trainer.
Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, countered that racism tainted the evaluations.
"His strong points and incidents were overlooked and his weaknesses and problems taken out of proportion," Abugov said Tuesday.
Morin's case is being closely followed by the Montreal-based Centre for Research Action on Race Relations.
The hearings are also being monitored by the Association of Black Law Enforcers, a Canadian organization with members on police forces and in corrections departments, customs and immigration offices and the courts.
"It's an important issue to many black law enforcers," said Fo Niemi, director of the Centre for Research Action on Race Relations.
"The question is how to integrate a workplace that has always been homogeneous."
The hearings are to continue this week with testimony from Morin and his wife.
The hearings will then adjourn until Oct. 20 when the tribunal is to hear testimony in Vancouver from as many as 30 RCMP witnesses. (Montreal Gazette-CP)
JUN 19, 2003 |
THE TELEGRAM (ST. JOHN'S) |
PAGE: A7 (NEWS) |
Faults exaggerated, black Mountie tells tribunal
A former RCMP officer told the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Wednesday that the national police force ignored his achievements and exaggerated his faults to engineer his dismissal in 1997.
Jean-Luc Morin, 29, who is black, has alleged racial harassment, saying racial overtones guided the men responsible for evaluating his performance in Burnaby, B.C.
In one instance, Const. Dwayne McDonald drew a figure with big nose and big lips, pointed to another black officer in an adjoining car and laughed, Morin testified during the second day of hearings.
"He said my nose and lips were smaller than the other officer's," Morin said, describing the incident as "stupid, racist, ridiculous." He recalled that a black recruit once remarked that McDonald's tie was dirty.
McDonald shot back, "Yeah, but who looks dirtier between you and me?" Morin said.
JUN 18, 2003 |
CANADIAN PRESS NEWSWIRE |
Black Mountie's faults exaggerated, he testifies at human rights tribunal
MONTREAL (CP) _ A former RCMP officer told the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Wednesday that the national police force ignored his achievements and exaggerated his faults to engineer his dismissal in 1997.
Jean-Luc Morin, 29, who is black, has alleged racial harassment, saying racial overtones guided the men responsible for evaluating his performance in Burnaby, B.C.
In one instance, Const. Dwayne McDonald drew a figure with big nose and big lips, pointed to another black officer in an adjoining car and laughed, Morin testified during the second day of hearings.
"He said my nose and lips were smaller than the other officer's," Morin said, describing the incident as "stupid, racist, ridiculous."
He recalled that a black recruit once remarked that McDonald's tie was dirty.
McDonald shot back, "Yeah, but who looks dirtier between you and me?" Morin said.
Other supervisors also made comments that Morin said made him feel "degraded and misunderstood."
"I was evaluated subjectively in order to crush me," he said. However, the French speaking Morin conceded that some officers remarked that he "acted in a very professional manner."
Const. R. E. Marx said in August 1997 there "appears to be a language barrier (that) at no time took away from the quality of policing skills shown by Const. Morin."
Morin said he was entrusted with checking credentials at the tense APEC summit in Vancouver _ seven days before he was fired after a series of negative evaluations.
Morin, who works as a security officer at Dorval airport, is seeking $300,000 in compensation, an apology from the RCMP, and restoration of his job.
(Montreal Gazette)
JUN 19, 2003 |
THE GUARDIAN (CHARLOTTETOWN) |
PAGE: A10 (CANADA) |
Ex-Mountie says dismissal was engineered
(CP) -- A former RCMP officer told the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal Wednesday that the national police force ignored his achievements and exaggerated his faults to engineer his dismissal in 1997.
Jean-Luc Morin, 29, who is black, has alleged racial harassment, saying racial overtones guided the men responsible for evaluating his performance in Burnaby, B.C.
In one instance, Const. Dwayne McDonald drew a figure with big nose and big lips, pointed to another black officer in an adjoining car and laughed, Morin testified during the second day of hearings.
"He said my nose and lips were smaller than the other officer's," Morin said, describing the incident as "stupid, racist, ridiculous." He recalled that a black recruit once remarked that McDonald's tie was dirty.
McDonald shot back, "Yeah, but who looks dirtier between you and me?" Morin said.
Other supervisors also made comments that Morin said made him feel "degraded and misunderstood."
"I was evaluated subjectively in order to crush me."
JUN 19, 2003 |
MONTREAL GAZETTE |
PAGE: A11 (NEWS) |
Superiors ignored successes - Mountie
Human rights case. 'Evaluated subjectively in order to crush me'
IRWIN BLOCK, The Gazette
A black former RCMP officer alleging racial harassment with the force at Burnaby, B.C., says his superiors ignored his operational successes and exaggerated his faults to engineer his dismissal in December 1997.
Behind it all, Jean-Luc Morin told a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal yesterday, were racial overtones from the men responsible for evaluating his performance.
Morin, in his second day of testimony at the tribunal, said Constable John Haney - his supervisor for the first six months - never greeted his wife.
"He (Haney) had a problem that I was living with a white woman," Morin told the tribunal.
RCMP lawyer Alain Prefontaine objected that this was hearsay, but tribunal head Anasthasios Hadjis allowed the comment as Morin's opinion.
Haney is the same officer who, Morin testified Tuesday, often called Morin "Kirby Pucket Ass" - a reference to the black former Minnesota Twins centrefielder who, Morin said, was "known for having a big behind."
Actions with racial overtones were not restricted to one officer.
On their first day together, Morin testified, Constable Dwayne McDonald drew a figure with big nose and big lips, pointed to another black officer in an adjoining car and laughed.
"He said my nose and lips were smaller than the other officer's," Morin recalled, describing the incident as "stupid, racist, ridiculous."
He recalled that a black recruit once remarked that McDonald's tie was dirty.
McDonald shot back, "Yeah, but who looks dirtier between you and me?" Morin said.
Constable Dave Carr, Morin's second supervisor, also ignored Morin's successes in the field.
In his final assessment in August 1997, Carr gave what Morin considered to be a back-handed compliment - that he appeared "street wise" but adding that "laziness should not be a factor" in deciding on an arrest.
Feeling "degraded and misunderstood," he said, "I was evaluated subjectively in order to crush me."
An exception was a report from Constable R. E. Marx in August 1997, which noted Morin had "acted in a very professional manner."
Marx said there "appears to be a language barrier ... (that) at no time took away from the quality of policing skills shown by Constable Morin."
Morin said he was entrusted with checking credentials at the tense APEC summit in Vancouver - seven days before he was fired after a series of negative evaluations.
Morin, who works as a security officer at Dorval airport, is seeking $300,000 in compensation, an apology from the RCMP, and restoration of his job. The hearing continues today.
iblock@thegazette.canwest.com
JUN 18, 2003 |
THE RECORD (WATERLOO REGION) |
PAGE: A5 (FRONT) |
Discrimination trial against RCMP begins
A former member of the RCMP said yesterday the federal force dashed his hopes of being a Mountie because he is black.
"They took my dream away," Jean-Luc Morin, 29, said outside a Canadian Human Rights Commission hearing in Montreal. "I was crushed.
"I was proud to be Canadian and serve the public and the reason why I hung on until the end is because I love this job. No matter what nicknames or racist treatment I suffered, I got up every morning and put my uniform on and went to work because I loved this job."
The Mounties contend Morin wasn't up to their standards when they fired him in 1997.
Catherine Lawrence, a Justice Department lawyer representing the RCMP and the federal attorney general, said the federal force's position is that its recruits must meet a certain minimum standard of competence. "Unfortunately in this particular instance, after three chances, Mr. Morin failed to meet those minimum criteria and unfortunately wasn't able to remain with the RCMP," she said outside the hearing.
Morin, who now works as an explosives detection specialist at Montreal's Dorval Airport, wants $300,000 in damages, his old job back, the adoption of a racial harassment policy by the RCMP and a public apology. He joined the RCMP in 1995 and said he was constantly beset with subtle and overt discrimination by training officers when he was posted to the detachment in Burnaby, B.C.
For instance he said, one officer forced Morin to change his handwriting style, timed every one of Morin's professional acts such as writing reports and gave him the nickname O.B.O, which was used during U.S. slave auctions in the pre-emancipation era. He also said he was the butt of racist jokes.
He was also given bad performance reviews, which Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, said in his opening remarks were based on vague criteria and focused on isolated incidents.
Morin was fired in December 1997 although seven days before he was let go he was assigned to patrol the high-security APEC summit.
Morin had successfully completed the RCMP's training program between October 1994 and January 1995. Though he said he enjoyed his training, he added that things went downhill when he was sent to the B.C. unit.
Abugov said a decision against the RCMP will send a strong message that discrimination won't be tolerated. "It's a question of straightening out a horrible situation," he said. "We want the RCMP to try to correct the injustices that were suffered by my client because when you're called horrible racist names, there's no amount of money in the world that can compensate for that."
The hearing was scheduled to continue today.
ILLUS: Photo: A human rights tribunal began hearings yesterday into allegations by Jean-Luc Morin, a former Mountie, that the force discriminated against him and ruined his career as a police officer.
JUN 17, 2003 |
CANADIAN PRESS NEWSWIRE |
Montreal hearing begins on charges RCMP discriminated against recruit
NELSON WYATT
MONTREAL (CP) _ A former member of the RCMP said Tuesday the federal force dashed his hopes of being a Mountie because he is black.
"They took my dream away," Jean-Luc Morin, 29, said outside a Canadian Human Rights Commission hearing. "I was crushed.
"I was proud to be Canadian and serve the public and the reason why I hung on until the end is because I love this job. No matter what nicknames or racist treatment I suffered, I got up every morning and put my uniform on and went to work because I loved this job."
The Mounties contend Morin wasn't up to their standards when they fired him in 1997.
Catherine Lawrence, a Justice Department lawyer representing the RCMP and the federal attorney general, said the federal force's position is that its recruits must meet a certain minimum standard of competence.
"Unfortunately in this particular instance, after three chances, Mr. Morin failed to meet those minimum criteria and unfortunately wasn't able to remain with the RCMP," she said outside the hearing.
Morin was disappointed to not see any RCMP officers at the hearing and said he thought the Mounties were hoping the case would simply go away.
"My feeling is the RCMP is trying to let time solve the problem."
Morin, who now works as an explosives detection specialist at Montreal's Dorval Airport, wants $300,000 in damages, his old job back, the adoption of a racial harassment policy by the RCMP and a public apology.
Morin joined the RCMP in 1995 and says he was constantly beset with subtle and overt discrimination by training officers when he was posted to the detachment in Burnaby, B.C.
For instance he said, one officer forced Morin to change his handwriting style, timed every one of Morin's professional acts such as writing reports and gave him the nickname O.B.O, which was used during American slave auctions in the pre-emancipation era. He also said he was the butt of racist jokes.
He was also given bad performance reviews, which Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, said in his opening remarks were based on vague criteria and which focused on isolated incidents.
Morin was fired in December 1997 although seven days before he was let go he was assigned to patrol the high-security APEC summit.
Morin had successfully completed the RCMP's training program between October 1994 and January 1995 with the intention of joining a newly formed RCMP police program in Haiti. But after the training, he was inspired to stay in Canada.
He said he enjoyed his training, which the French-speaking Quebecer opted to do in English. But he said things went downhill when he was sent to the B.C. unit.
After he left the RCMP, Morin worked in several low-paying security jobs but Abugov said he is "blossoming" in his current job.
Abugov said a decision against the RCMP will send a strong message that discrimination won't be tolerated.
"It's a question of straightening out a horrible situation," he said. "We want the RCMP to try to correct the injustices that were suffered by my client because when you're called horrible racist names, there's no amount of money in the world that can compensate for that."
The hearing was scheduled to continue Wednesday.
JUN 18, 2003 |
THE CHRONICLE-HERALD |
PAGE: C8 (CANADA) |
Mountie racism tribunal begins
Morin says he was fired because he is black
Nelson Wyatt, The Canadian Press
Montreal - A former member of the RCMP said Tuesday the federal force dashed his hopes of being a Mountie because he is black.
"They took my dream away," Jean-Luc Morin, 29, said outside a Canadian Human Rights Commission hearing. "I was crushed.
"I was proud to be Canadian and serve the public and the reason why I hung on until the end is because I love this job. No matter what nicknames or racist treatment I suffered, I got up every morning and put my uniform on and went to work because I loved this job."
The Mounties contend Morin wasn't up to their standards when they fired him in 1997.
Catherine Lawrence, a Justice Department lawyer representing the RCMP and the federal attorney general, said the federal force's position is that its recruits must meet a certain minimum standard of competence.
"Unfortunately in this particular instance, after three chances, Mr. Morin failed to meet those minimum criteria and unfortunately wasn't able to remain with the RCMP," she said outside the hearing.
Morin was disappointed to not see any RCMP officers at the hearing and said he thought the Mounties were hoping the case would simply go away.
"My feeling is the RCMP is trying to let time solve the problem."
Morin, who now works as an explosives detection specialist at Montreal's Dorval Airport, wants $300,000 in damages, his old job back, the adoption of a racial harassment policy by the RCMP and a public apology.
Morin joined the RCMP in 1995 and says he was constantly beset with subtle and overt discrimination by training officers when he was posted to the detachment in Burnaby, B.C.
For instance he said, one officer forced Morin to change his handwriting style, timed every one of Morin's professional acts such as writing reports and gave him the nickname O.B.O, which was used during American slave auctions in the pre-emancipation era. He also said he was the butt of racist jokes.
He was also given bad performance reviews, which Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, said in his opening remarks were based on vague criteria and which focused on isolated incidents.
Morin was fired in December 1997 although seven days before he was let go he was assigned to patrol the high-security APEC summit.
Morin had successfully completed the RCMP's training program between October 1994 and January 1995 with the intention of joining a newly formed RCMP police program in Haiti. But after the training, he was inspired to stay in Canada.
He said he enjoyed his training, which the French-speaking Quebecer opted to do in English. But he said things went downhill when he was sent to the B.C. unit. After he left the RCMP, Morin worked in several low-paying security jobs but Abugov said he is "blossoming" in his current job.
Abugov said a decision against the RCMP will send a strong message that discrimination won't be tolerated.
"It's a question of straightening out a horrible situation," he said.
The hearing was scheduled to continue Wednesday.
PHOTO: Marcos Townsend / Montreal Gazette / CP
ILLUS: Const. Jean-Luc Morin and his dog Bruce patrol Dorval Airport in Montreal in May 2000.
JUN 18, 2003 |
THE GUARDIAN (CHARLOTTETOWN) |
PAGE: A8 (CANADA) |
Former Mountie at hearing makes discrimination claim
(CP) -- A former member of the RCMP said Tuesday the federal force dashed his hopes of being a Mountie because he is black.
"They took my dream away," Jean-Luc Morin, 29, said outside a Canadian Human Rights Commission hearing. "I was crushed.
"I was proud to be Canadian and serve the public and the reason why I hung on until the end is because I love this job. No matter what nicknames or racist treatment I suffered, I got up every morning and put my uniform on and went to work because I loved this job."
The Mounties contend Morin wasn't up to their standards when they fired him in 1997.
Catherine Lawrence, a Justice Department lawyer representing the RCMP and the federal attorney general, said the federal force's position is that its recruits must meet a certain minimum standard of competence.
"Unfortunately in this particular instance, after three chances, Mr. Morin failed to meet those minimum criteria and unfortunately wasn't able to remain with the RCMP," she said outside the hearing.
Morin was disappointed to not see any RCMP officers at the hearing and said he thought the Mounties were hoping the case would simply go away.
"My feeling is the RCMP is trying to let time solve the problem."
Morin, who now works as an explosives detection specialist at Montreal's Dorval Airport, wants $300,000 in damages, his old job back, the adoption of a racial harassment policy by the RCMP and a public apology.
Morin joined the RCMP in 1995 and says he was constantly beset with subtle and overt discrimination by training officers when he was posted to the detachment in Burnaby, B.C.
For instance he said, one officer forced Morin to change his handwriting style, timed every one of Morin's professional acts such as writing reports and gave him the nickname O.B.O, which was used during American slave auctions in the pre-emancipation era.
He was also given bad performance reviews, which Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, said in his opening remarks were based on vague criteria and which focused on isolated incidents. Morin was fired in December 1997 although seven days before he was let go he was assigned to patrol the APEC summit.
PHOTO: Color Photo: Canadian Press
ILLUS: Const. Jean-Luc Morin and his dog Bruce patrol Dorval Airport in Montreal in May 2000. A human rights tribunal began hearings Tuesday into allegations by Morin, a former Mountie, that the force discriminated against him and ruined his career as a police officer.
JUN 18, 2003 |
TIMES COLONIST (VICTORIA) |
PAGE: A7 (NEWS) |
Fired ex-Mountie blames racism
MONTREAL (CP) -- A former member of the RCMP said Tuesday the federal force dashed his hopes of being a Mountie because he is black.
"They took my dream away," Jean-Luc Morin, 29, said outside a Canadian Human Rights Commission hearing. "I was crushed.
"I was proud to be Canadian and serve the public and the reason why I hung on until the end is because I love this job. No matter what nicknames or racist treatment I suffered, I got up every morning and put my uniform on and went to work because I loved this job."
The Mounties contend Morin wasn't up to their standards when they fired him in 1997.
Catherine Lawrence, a Justice Department lawyer representing the RCMP and the federal attorney general, said the federal force's position is that its recruits must meet a certain minimum standard of competence.
"Unfortunately in this particular instance, after three chances, Mr. Morin failed to meet those minimum criteria and unfortunately wasn't able to remain with the RCMP," she said outside the hearing.
Morin was disappointed to not see any RCMP officers at the hearing and said he thought the Mounties were hoping the case would simply go away.
"My feeling is the RCMP is trying to let time solve the problem."
Morin, who now works as an explosives detection specialist at Montreal's Dorval Airport, wants $300,000 in damages, his old job back, the adoption of a racial harassment policy by the RCMP and a public apology.
Morin joined the RCMP in 1995 and says he was constantly beset with subtle and overt discrimination by training officers when he was posted to the detachment in Burnaby.
For instance he said, one officer forced Morin to change his handwriting style, timed every one of Morin's professional acts such as writing reports and gave him the nickname O.B.O, which was used during American slave auctions in the pre-emancipation era. He also said he was the butt of racist jokes.
He was also given bad performance reviews, which Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, said in his opening remarks were based on vague criteria and which focused on isolated incidents.
Morin was fired in December 1997 although seven days before he was let go he was assigned to patrol the high-security APEC summit.
JUN 18, 2003 |
THE PROVINCE |
PAGE: A10 (NEWS) |
Ex-Burnaby Mountie says he was fired because he's black
MONTREAL -- A former member of the Burnaby RCMP said yesterday the force dashed his hopes of being a Mountie because he is black.
"They took my dream away," Jean-Luc Morin, 29, said outside a Human Rights Commission hearing. "I was crushed. I was proud to be Canadian and serve the public and the reason why I hung on until the end is because I love this job. No matter what nicknames or racist treatment I suffered, I got up every morning and put my uniform on and went to work because I loved this job."
The Mounties contend Morin wasn't up to their standards when they fired him in 1997.
Morin joined the RCMP in 1995 and says he was constantly beset with subtle and overt discrimination by training officers when he was posted to the Burnaby detachment.
For instance, he said, one officer forced Morin to change his handwriting style, timed every one of Morin's professional acts such as writing reports and gave him the nickname "O.B.O.", which was used during American slave auctions in the pre-emancipation era. He also said he was the butt of racist jokes.
He was also given bad performance reviews, which Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, said in his opening remarks were based on vague criteria and focused on isolated incidents.
Catherine Lawrence, a Justice Department lawyer representing the RCMP and the federal attorney-general, said the force's position is that its recruits must meet a certain minimum standard of competence.
"Unfortunately in this particular instance, after three chances, Mr. Morin failed to meet those minimum criteria and unfortunately wasn't able to remain with the RCMP," she said outside the hearing.
Morin was disappointed to not see any RCMP officers at the hearing and said he thought the Mounties were hoping the case would simply go away. "My feeling is the RCMP is trying to let time solve the problem."
Morin, who now works as an explosives-detection specialist at Montreal's Dorval Airport, wants $300,000 in damages, his old job back, the adoption of a racial-harassment policy by the RCMP and a public apology.
Morin was fired in December 1997, although seven days before he was let go he was assigned to patrol the high-security APEC summit in Vancouver.
Morin had successfully completed the RCMP's training program between October 1994 and January '95 with the intention of joining a newly formed RCMP police program in Haiti. But after the training, he was inspired to stay in Canada. He said he enjoyed his training, which the French-speaking Quebecer opted to do in English. But he said things went downhill when he was sent to B.C.
After he left the RCMP, Morin worked in several low-paying security jobs, but Abugov said he is "blossoming" in his current job.
ILLUS: Photo: The Canadian Press / Jean-Luc Morin in Montreal in this May 13, 2003, file photo.
JUN 18, 2003 |
THE PROVINCE |
PAGE: A10 (NEWS) |
Former Mountie says racism ended career
MONTREAL -- A former member of Burnaby RCMP said yesterday the force dashed his hopes of being a Mountie because he is black.
"They took my dream away," Jean-Luc Morin, 29, said outside a Human Rights Commission hearing. "I was crushed. I was proud to be Canadian and serve the public and the reason why I hung on until the end is because I love this job. No matter what nicknames or racist treatment I suffered, I got up every morning and put my uniform on and went to work because I loved this job."
The Mounties contend Morin wasn't up to their standards when they fired him in 1997.
Morin joined the RCMP in 1995 and says he was constantly beset with discrimination by training officers when he was posted to the Burnaby detachment.
For instance, he said, one officer forced Morin to change his handwriting, timed all his professional acts such as writing reports and gave him the nickname "O.B.O.", which was used during American slave auctions in the pre-emancipation era.
He also said he was the butt of racist jokes.
He was also given bad performance reviews, which Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, said in his opening remarks were based on vague criteria and focused on isolated incidents.
Catherine Lawrence, a Justice Department lawyer representing the RCMP and the federal Attorney-General, said RCMP recruits must meet a minimum standard of competence.
"Unfortunately . . . after three chances, Mr. Morin failed to meet those minimum criteria," she said.
Morin, who now works as an explosives-detection specialist at Montreal's Dorval Airport, wants $300,000 in damages, his old job back, the adoption of a racial-harassment policy by the RCMP and a public apology.
ILLUS: Photo: (Jean-Luc) Morin
JUN 18, 2003 |
THE OTTAWA CITIZEN |
PAGE: A5 (NEWS) |
RCMP 'crushed' me, black ex-officer says
Force says he didn't meet standards
Nelson Wyatt, The Canadian Press
MONTREAL -- A former member of the RCMP said yesterday the federal force dashed his hopes of being a Mountie because he is black.
"They took my dream away," Jean-Luc Morin, 29, said outside a Canadian Human Rights Commission hearing. "I was crushed.
"I was proud to be Canadian and serve the public and the reason why I hung on until the end is because I love this job. No matter what nicknames or racist treatment I suffered, I got up every morning and put my uniform on and went to work because I loved this job."
The Mounties contend Mr. Morin wasn't up to their standards when they fired him in 1997.
Catherine Lawrence, a Justice Department lawyer representing the RCMP and the federal attorney general, said the federal force's position is that its recruits must meet a certain minimum standard of competence.
"Unfortunately in this particular instance, after three chances, Mr. Morin failed to meet those minimum criteria and unfortunately wasn't able to remain with the RCMP," she said outside the hearing.
Mr. Morin was disappointed to not see any RCMP officers at the hearing and said he thought the Mounties were hoping the case would simply go away.
"My feeling is the RCMP is trying to let time solve the problem."
Mr. Morin, who now works as an explosives detection specialist at Montreal's Dorval Airport, wants $300,000 in damages, his old job back, the adoption of a racial harassment policy by the RCMP and a public apology.
Mr. Morin joined the RCMP in 1995 and says he was constantly beset with subtle and overt discrimination by training officers when he was posted to the detachment in Burnaby, B.C.
For instance, he said, one officer forced Mr. Morin to change his handwriting style, timed every one of Mr. Morin's professional acts such as writing reports and gave him the nickname O.B.O., which was used during American slave auctions in the pre-emancipation era. He also said he was the butt of racist jokes.
He was also given bad performance reviews, which Mr. Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, said in his opening remarks were based on vague criteria and focused on isolated incidents.
Mr. Morin was fired in December 1997, although seven days before he was let go he was assigned to patrol the high-security APEC summit.
Mr. Morin had successfully completed the RCMP's training program between October 1994 and January 1995 with the intention of joining a newly formed RCMP police program in Haiti. But after the training, he was inspired to stay in Canada.
He said he enjoyed his training, which the French-speaking Quebecer opted to do in English. But he said things went downhill when he was sent to the B.C. unit.
Mr. Abugov said a decision against the RCMP will send a strong message that discrimination won't be tolerated.
The hearing was scheduled to continue today.
ILLUS: Photo: Marcos Townsend, The Canadian Press / Jean-Luc Morin and his dog Bruce patrol Dorval Airport in a photo taken in 2000, after he left the RCMP.
JUN 18, 2003 |
GLOBE AND MAIL |
PAGE: A9 (ILLUS) (NATIONAL NEWS) |
RCMP denies charges of racism at tribunal
INGRID PERITZ
Jean-Luc Morin signed up with the RCMP because he dreamed of wearing red serge and serving an institution that symbolized "glamour" and "prestige."
The Montreal native completed his basic training in Regina, then eagerly began a posting with the RCMP's detachment in Burnaby, B.C. -- a moment he calls his "dream come true." That was in 1996. Yesterday, Mr. Morin sat before a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in Montreal and accused the institution he once admired of discriminating against him because he is black.
"We're talking about a few individuals who humiliated me and destroyed my dream," he said in an interview. "But the RCMP defended its members, and didn't want to recognize it was racial harassment."
Mr. Morin, who was born in Montreal to Haitian parents 29 years ago, said his excitement at becoming a Mountie faded soon after starting in Burnaby. He told the tribunal his immediate superior yelled at him constantly, called him lazy, timed his report-writing with a stopwatch, and used epithets he said had racial overtones.
"My name was OBO," Mr. Morin said about one nickname. He said he later discovered it meant "Or Best Offer," a term he said has painful connotations from slavery days.
Later, while he was changing into his RCMP uniform one day, the same superior called him "Kirby Puckett ass;" he later found out Mr. Puckett was a Hall of Fame baseball star known for his round frame.
"I felt humiliated and degraded," Mr. Morin told the tribunal. "For me, it was a racist remark."
Both terms were used repeatedly in front of other officers, he added.
After a year on the job, Mr. Morin learned he was going to be fired, so he quit instead. He returned to Montreal, where he lives with his wife and two young children. He works for Dorval International Airport as an explosives specialist.
He is seeking $300,000 in damages from the RCMP, reinstatement and an apology.
"The RCMP is supposed to be a model for Canadian society," Mr. Morin's lawyer, Ian Abugov, told the tribunal. "The fact this kind of interaction went on at the RCMP makes it doubly unacceptable."
The lawyer representing the RCMP denied Mr. Morin's claim that he was the victim of discrimination, saying the young recruit simply didn't meet the Mounties' high standards.
"In this particular matter, unfortunately, Mr. Morin just didn't meet the basic requirements," said Catherine Lawrence, a lawyer for Canada's Attorney General.
"He had three chances to prove that he met the basic-training requirements, and he wasn't able to meet the basic criteria," she said. "That's the sole reason in the end for him not being successful.
"The facts that will come out will show in the end that the RCMP did nothing wrong."
The RCMP has made efforts to recruit racial minorities to make it more representative of Canadian society. In 1992, only 1 per cent of officers were visible minorities, compared with more than 5 per cent today. Still, the percentage of visible minorities in Canada's overall work force is 11 per cent.
Mr. Morin's case has dragged on for years. The Canadian Human Rights Commission initially rejected Mr. Morin's complaint; he asked for the case to be reviewed, however, and a second commission ruled there was enough basis to refer it to a tribunal.
One senior black RCMP officer who attended Mr. Morin's hearing yesterday said his case isn't isolated. Calvin Lawrence, a 25-year RCMP veteran who's on sick leave over stress, has also filed a racial discrimination complaint.
JUN 18, 2003 |
MONTREAL GAZETTE |
PAGE: A7 (NEWS) |
RCMP recruit says trainer harassed him out of force
Black officer calls remarks racist. Former Constable Jean-Luc Morin wants human-rights tribunal to order restitution
IRWIN BLOCK, The Gazette
A black former RCMP officer who alleges he was drummed out of the force by racial harassment says his superior called him names like "Kirby Pucket ass."
"For me, it was a racist remark," Jean-Luc Morin told a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal yesterday as he began testifying at his racial discrimination and harassment case against the RCMP.
Morin said he was "enraged and frustrated" that Constable John Haney, the man responsible for his initial training and assessment in the RCMP detachment at Burnaby. B.C. from November 1996, would often use this nickname in front of fellow officers.
The reference was to Minnesota Twins centre fielder Kirby Pucket. "He is a baseball player known for having a big behind," Morin said.
Haney first made the remark in an RCMP dressing room and often repeated it during his year in Burnaby before Morin was fired, he told commissioner Anasthasios Hadjis.
Haney also nicknamed him "Obo," Morin testified, an abbreviation for "or best offer."
Morin, a francophone, was not aware of this and thought the reference was to a term used at American slave auctions, he told the tribunal.
"No other RCMP officers had nicknames, they were all referred to as Constable, Corporal or by their family names," Morin said.
He also testified Haney used a stopwatch to time his tasks, and noted them in a black notebook. In their patrol car, Haney would criticize him for not taking the shortest route, noting it in his notebook.
If a report contained a grammar mistake - like the word "was" instead of "were" - Haney would demand he rewrite the entire report by hand, Morin said.
Other recruits were allowed to use a computer, he said.
Once, when Morin greeted another black RCMP officer, Haney is alleged to have remarked, "so that's how you black guys shake hands."
Haney gave him negative evaluations, failing him on 40 per cent of criteria in a first report, Morin said. He said he was given no credit for such feats as using the Heimlich maneuver to save a man choking at a Swiss Chalet restaurant.
Other supervisors also discouraged Morin from continuing in the force, and he was fired in December 1997.
Morin, who now works as a security officer at Dorval airport, is seeking $300,000 in compensation, an apology from the RCMP, and restoration of his job.
The hearing continues today.
iblock@thegazette.canwest.com
ILLUS: Photo: THE GAZETTE / Jean-Luc Morin is shown on the job with police dog at Dorval airport in 2001.