Female RCMP officer to forfeit pay, vacation after allegedly grabbing coworker's genitals

An RCMP officer has been ordered to forfeit 20 days of pay and 10 days of vacation after allegations of sexual misconduct against another officer.

According to a report from the RCMP, Constable Valerie Little conducted two “allegations of discreditable conduct” against a male colleague, who is described as “Constable A. F.” The two RCMP officers worked together for a period of time at the detachment in Vernon, BC.

Both events took place more than 10 years ago and Josée Thibault, who made the decision, says that the allegations were “established on a balance of probabilities.”

The first event was alleged to have taken place between November 1, 2009, and February 3, 2010. The report says that both officers were watching a video of the Serious Crime Unit conduct an interview when Little made an inappropriate comment.

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“At one point in the interview, when the male suspect was discussing his own sexual preferences,” Little reportedly leaned over to A. F. and placed her right hand on his left thigh, saying something to the effect of “I like to take it from behind.”

The second incident is believed to have taken place on February 3, 2010, when both officers participated in a community broomball tournament. At one point, A. F. was said to have been in the detachment hallway when approached by Little.

She then allegedly squeezes his genitals while saying “I see you’re not wearing a cup.”

The report says that A. F. was “embarrassed and shocked” by the “unwanted sexual advance” and responded by walking away. It also says that A. F. was “determined that there was nothing he could do” since he was a male RCMP member and Little was a female.

When he sought out the advice of a senior RCMP officer, who is described in the report as Ms. KS, it says that “she did not take his complaint as a male victim of sexual assault seriously as she ‘chuckled’ when informed.”

Ms. KS also recommended that A. F. not file a complaint when the incidents occurred, “due to the lack of trust in the direct supervisor and senior management working in the Vernon Detachment at the time.”

A. F. left the Vernon Detachment in March 2011 and the two parties had no contact until unexpectedly meeting in Spring 2017. Little, who was on maternity leave, visited the RCMP’s Nanaimo Detachment while A. F. was on duty.

They also met in August of 2018, when two were said to have been attending different medical appointments in the same building in Nanaimo. It was during the encounter that Little told A. F. that she was transferring to the Nanaimo Detachment later that year. After the encounter, A. F. informed RCMP management of the two allegations.

The report says that after their unexpected meeting, A. F. was “completely overwhelmed” and “spent his entire session with the psychologist talking this through.”

“He felt stuck and knew he could not work with her as he was afraid something else may happen,” reads the document.

Although Little denied the sexual nature of the two incidents, the board found it “more probably than not” that the interview incident had taken place, saying that “it would also explain A. F.’s reaction when the second incident occurred.”

“It would also be consistent with his behaviour in August 2018 when he learned that Little was transferring to his detachment.”

Ultimately, the board ordered Little to forfeit 20 days of pay and 10 days of paid vacation. She’ll also be ineligible for a promotion for two years, must work under close supervision for one year, and must not work in the same detachment or location as A. F.