VANCOUVER, B.C. (CN) - In a Carlos Danger-like lawsuit against the Canadian attorney general, a Mountie claims that Tim Shields exposed his "erect penis" to her, asked her for sex, asked to give her oral sex and sent her lewd text messages before he was elevated to attorney general.
Atoya Montague sued Canadian Attorney General and British Columbian Minister of Justice Tim Shields, in B.C. Supreme Court.
Montague claims Shields' offensive conduct was just part of a culture of sexual harassment in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that is so "persistent" and "pervasive" that she became sick from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Montague went to work for the Mounties in 2002 as a communications specialist, she says in the lawsuit. She claims that male Mounties harassed and demeaned her throughout her time with the police force.
"The plaintiff realized that the culture of sexual harassment with the RCMP is so pervasive that the plaintiff was personally helpless to stop it and had to be subjected to a certain level of sexual harassment, as complaining about it would only make matters worse," Montague says in the complaint. "The plaintiff had, during her career with the RMCP, observed circumstances where complainants had been transferred out of their existing assignments to a new assignment, with a reputation for complaining following them to each new assignment."
Montague claims that Shields showed her his erection through his pants while on a road trip in 2003. At the time, Shields too was a media relations officer. She accompanied him, also as a media relations worker, to drop off supplies to victims of wildfires in August 2003, according to the complaint.
"While driving, and in control of the vehicle, the defendant, Shields, showed the plaintiff his erection through his jean shorts and made advances towards the plaintiff, asking the plaintiff to have sex with him and advising her that he could easily pull the car over so that he could perform oral sex on her," Montague says in the complaint.
"The plaintiff was in absolute shock, repelling the defendant, Shields', unwanted and unprompted advances."
Five years later, "On or about 2008, the defendant, Shields, was promoted to NCO in charge of strategic communications unit and the plaintiff reported directly to him," the complaint states. "Plaintiff at this time was second in charge of the strategic communications unit. On or about the month of July 2008, the defendant, Shields, again made similar unwanted and unprompted sexual advances towards the plaintiff while in his police car with the plaintiff as his captive passenger. On this occasion he showed the plaintiff his penis.
"The defendant, Shields', misconduct was malicious and willful and he acted solely with the intention of sexual gratification, which sexually humiliated the plaintiff and demeaned her value as civilian member of the RCMP and as a human being.
"The defendant, Shields, made repeated advances towards the plaintiff during her tenure at 'E' Division's Headquarters. He continued to make sexual remarks and advances towards the plaintiff and expressed his interest in having sex with her. He sent her sexually explicit text messages.
"The defendant, Shields, regularly made comments about the plaintiff's breasts.
"The defendant, Shields, inquired of the plaintiff if she had ever told anybody about the incident in 2003. He advised the plaintiff he would get in big trouble if anyone ever found out, saying that the RCMP took sexual harassment seriously.
"The defendant, Shields, asked the plaintiff to promise him that she would never tell anyone of the incident.
"Despite this, the defendant, Shields, continued to make sexual remarks and advances towards the plaintiff and continually expressing his interest in having sex with her.
"The plaintiff did not report the misconduct of the defendant, Shields, for fear of negative repercussion that it could have on her career.
"On or about the month of November 2008, the plaintiff attended a meeting involving the most senior ranks of the RCMP in preparation for a live media scrum. Following the meeting, the plaintiff was in the process of leaving the room and bent over to collect her laptop. As she stood up in front of the defendant Shields, he whispered to the plaintiff: 'Your [sic] wearing a red thong and the Commissioner totally just checked it out and stared at your ass while you put yow laptop away.'
"The defendant, Shields, then commented, as he had on many occasions, 'whatever it takes, Montague, whatever it takes,'
"Deeply embarrassed and offended, the plaintiff took these comments to mean that she should wear whatever provocative clothing necessary to get senior management within the organization to 'give in' to her requests and/or strategic advice."
Shields was not the only one who harassed her at the RCMP, Montague says in the lawsuit. She claims that in 2007, a group of male officers surrounded and taunted her at an RCMP training event, leaving her "terrified, literally running away from that encounter."
Describing the Mounties as an "oppressive boys club," Montague claims she was excluded from meetings and paid less than male colleagues with the same job.
Montague went on medical leave in August 2011 and was diagnosed with PTSD and major depressive disorder in November 2012, she says in the complaint.
In March 2012, female officers filed a class action against the RCMP, claiming the force has a systemic culture of sexual harassment.
Montague seeks lost wages, past and future, and damages and punitive damages for lost opportunity, diminished earning capacity, sexual harassment, negligent supervision and other charges.
She is represented by J. Barry Carter with Mair Jenson Blair in Kamloops, B.C.
Carlos Danger is the pseudonym former Congressman, and present New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner used in sexual text messages to women he had never met.
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