A timeline of harassment claims at Canada’s spy agency

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has recently faced a series of revelations about allegations of workplace harassment and assault. Here is a timeline about the situation.

July 2019: A B.C.-based CSIS officer later identified as “Jane Doe” in court documents begins to suffer what she says were a series of sexual assaults at the hands of a senior colleague. She says the assaults continue until February 2020

Spring 2021: A second B.C.-based officers says she suffers sexual assault at the hands of the same officer accused by Jane Doe

February 2022: “Jane Doe” files a lawsuit against CSIS

June 2023: Second B.C. CSIS officer files lawsuit against CSIS

September 2023: Jane Doe’s lawsuit is dismissed on the grounds she hasn’t exhausted CSIS’s internal complaints process

Nov. 30, 2023: The Canadian Press publishes an investigation into the B.C. surveillance office of CSIS, including the two officers’ sexual assault claims

Dec. 4, 2023: CSIS staff compile statistics for then director general of CSIS, David Vigneault, showing 49 claims of workplace harassment and violence since 2021. Eight are deemed “founded”

The same day, the officer accused of sexual assault in B.C. leaves CSIS

Dec. 5, 2023: Vigneault, holds a townhall meeting for all CSIS staff to address The Canadian Press report. He announces the accused officer’s departure and pledges a series of reforms

May 2024: The chief human resources officer for CSIS says in a report that there were 24 ongoing harassment investigations in 2023

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press