May 28, 2022

Winnipeg
14° C, Overcast

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Replica E-Edition
    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West
  • Above the Fold
  • Front page
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Book Club
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Canada
  • Local
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • World
  • The Star
  • Reader BridgeNEW
  • WFP EventsNEW
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Archives
  • Free Press Community Review
    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Classifieds
  • Contests
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • LifestylesNEW
    • All Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Homes
    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Puzzles
  • Photo and Book store
  • More

©2022 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Federal Election
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photo and Book store
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Day Pass
    • Support Faith coverage
    • Support Arts coverage
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
The Free Press
Articles Read
Your Balance +tax
Day Pass Till
Day Pass
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Report an Error
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
    • Staff Biographies
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • Log in
    • Create Account
    • Help
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
    • My Account
    • Manage My Subscription
    • Change Password
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
Log in Create Account Contact Us
Contact Us Manage Subscription
  • Sections
  • Local
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Diversions
    • Environment
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Health
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Soccer
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • E-Edition
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Automotive
    • Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Real Estate
    • Rentals
    • Services
  • Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Manitoba’s Top Employers
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print
    • Ripley's Aquariums
    • The Bay
    • Staples Canada
    • Altitude Sports
    • Nike
    • Tuango
    • Ebay Canada
    • Sport Chek
    • Roots
  • Obituaries
  • Subscribe$1.50 for 5 months
Home Local

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Taking a stand against abuse

Ex-employee endured threats after filing complaint

By: Mary Agnes Welch
Posted: 3:00 AM CST Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014
Last Modified: 12:39 PM CST Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014 | Updates

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Save to Read Later
Emily Garland says she received dozens of threats after launching a complaint against her employer for not protecting her from a customer.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Emily Garland says she received dozens of threats after launching a complaint against her employer for not protecting her from a customer.

A Winnipeg woman who won the biggest workplace sexual-harassment settlement in Manitoba history says blowback from the case forced her to change her name, confront dozens of threatening emails and relive a traumatic assault.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/11/2014 (2737 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg woman who won the biggest workplace sexual-harassment settlement in Manitoba history says blowback from the case forced her to change her name, confront dozens of threatening emails and relive a traumatic assault.

Still, the three-year process that culminated in a rare Manitoba Human Rights Commission hearing was "absolutely" worth it, she said.

"I would encourage other women to come forward, because it's only by waves and waves of women speaking up about this that things are going to change," said Emily Garland, 28. "But, this was a hard and draining experience, and if you don't have that in you, then you should focus on you."

Garland, a university graduate, said the debate over sexual violence and harassment has "hit the breaking point" in recent weeks in cases even more extreme than hers -- the arrest of CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi on sexual-assault charges, the rape accusations levelled against comedian Bill Cosby and the allegations made against two federal Liberals by two female NDP MPs.

'I would encourage other women to come forward, because it's only by waves and waves of women speaking up about this that things are going to change' ‐ Emily Garland, 28

Last year, an adjudicator ruled Garland was the victim of relentless and aggressive sexual harassment by a regular customer at the store where she worked -- GameKnight, on South Osborne, which specializes in board, card and role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

According to the decision, the customer repeatedly made lewd and graphic remarks, rubbed up against Garland and threatened to rape her.

"What do you say to that? The first three times it happened I was just shocked silent," said Garland. "If he could get me alone in the store without witnesses he would say something obscene to me or touch me," she said.

Last year, after a three-day hearing, the human rights adjudicator ruled Garland's boss, store owner Scott Tackaberry, failed to protect her from the customer, despite her repeated complaints. Garland was awarded $7,750, a record amount that took into account "the young age of the complainant in this case, the shocking and ongoing lewdness of the conduct and comments that she had to endure and the special vulnerability of a young worker whose employer failed to protect her against the abhorrent inappropriateness of a middle-aged customer."

But the fallout from the case was severe, with echoes of the recent "gamergate" controversy that saw feminist critic Anita Sarkeesian suffer an avalanche of sexual and physical threats for condemning the depiction of women in video games and science fiction.

After getting fired in 2010 and while her complaint was before the human rights commission, Garland received dozens of anonymous but extremely violent rape and death threats via email, mostly from the gaming community, she believes.

While working as a grader at the University of Manitoba, similar threats were slipped under the door of her office, she said. Complaints to police went nowhere and she changed her name to shield herself from the power of Google.

"Not all nerds are like this. Most people manage a healthy divide between fantasy and reality," said Garland, who still becomes agitated and angry when retelling her story. "But you can't live under the constant, and I mean constant, and immediate threat of physical and sexual violence for five years and not have it affect you."

Though the commission and its staff were "wonderful," the eventual hearing was traumatic. She said it was "comically scary" to face the customer who harassed her and the boss who failed to act.

Tackaberry acted as his own lawyer during the hearing and questioned Garland about her sexual history, including a rape she suffered as a teenager and is open about discussing. Tackaberry also argued Garland was quick to discuss her personal history and sex life with customers and staff.

The adjudicator, Winnipeg lawyer Robert Dawson, dismissed most of that evidence as irrelevant.

The Free Press | Newsletter

Winnipeg Gardener

What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. A monthly email from the Free Press with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing.

Sign up for Winnipeg Gardener
Sign Up

"He was interested in dredging up the most violent, unpleasant moments of my life and forcing me to relive them in front of an audience," said Garland. "I spoke about my life and then that was used against me. He had a three-day-long bully pulpit of what a terrible person I am."

Tackaberry maintained the reverse is true -- that Garland is a compulsive liar with a history of false claims who manufactured the human rights complaint to paint herself as the hero and him the villain. He said the three-year process was very hard on him and his family and utterly unfair.

In his testimony and in an interview, Tackaberry disputed much of Garland's version of events, saying she was rarely alone in the store with the customer and she complained only once about the harassment. She was ultimately fired for insubordination.

Tackaberry said the human rights commission's process was stacked against him, in part because Garland had a lawyer provided to help make her case, and he did not. He called the process "a kangaroo court."

To view the decision on this case: http://www.manitobahumanrights.ca/publications/legal/garland.pdf

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

History

Updated on Saturday, November 29, 2014 at 12:39 PM CST: Adds link to decision on the case.

  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund
  • The Free Press is certified by

The Winnipeg Free Press invites you to share your opinion on this story in a letter to the editor. A selection of letters to the editor are published daily.

To submit a letter:
• fill out the form on this page, or
• email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or
• mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.

Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and a daytime phone number. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Top