Vaughn Palmer: Falcon acted on harassment complaint one day late

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VICTORIA – BC Liberal leadership candidate Kevin Falcon learned Saturday of allegations that members of his campaign team were engaging in toxic behavior the night before toward Diamond Isinger, the rival aspiring leadership’s campaign manager. Michael Lee.

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But not until Isinger released his version of the exchange on Sunday did Falcon issue a public statement of regret and then called Isinger to offer a personal apology.

Falcon has since fired a member of his team, a volunteer who was organizing support in the South Asian community, after confirming that Isinger’s version was correct.

The fate of several other members of the campaign team who were present for Isinger’s apparent rough treatment at a downtown Vancouver hotel has yet to be determined.

Falcon intends to appoint an attorney to conduct an independent review and says the results will be made public.

“One hundred percent, I want to get to the bottom of this,” Falcon said Monday. “This pisses me off to an incredible degree.”

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It should.

Isinger’s account posted on social media Sunday afternoon was so disturbing that it added an activation warning.

“Strong language,” it read. “The following message describes a disturbing incident of sexual and personal harassment.”

She detailed more than 15 minutes of “sexual comments, sexually suggestive jokes, misogynistic insults and profane insults” by people she recognized as members of the Falcon campaign.

She said she was attacked with both the “f” word and the “c” word.

Isinger said he initially defended himself “wholeheartedly.”

When the abuse continued, Islinger said she broke down in tears. Then the main author accused her of ruining the evening (!) For him and his friends.

“He insisted that I shake his hand to reconcile with him and when I refused to do so, he reprimanded me again.”

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Isinger knows what he’s talking about the poisonous treatment of women in the political arena.

In 2013, she started a blog called Madam Premier and posted examples of hate speech directed at women then serving as Canadian Prime Minister.

Kathleen Wynne from Ontario: “Crazy bitch.” Alison Redford from Alberta: “Typical woman: big mouth, no brain to back it up.” Pauline Marois from Quebec: “Tramp”. Christy Clark from BC: “A spoiled fool with big ts.”

The common theme, as Isinger put it, was that “attacks directed at high-profile women in public life are almost exclusively about appearance, sexuality and / or intelligence.

“As long as the media continues to provide a platform for sexism by uncritically reporting disrespectful comments, women politicians will have a long way to go.”

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A decade later, Isinger doesn’t see much change.

“I am deeply concerned that this behavior is tolerated,” he wrote Sunday. “There is a dangerous culture of bad behavior among people (mostly men) who are not afraid of repercussions.”

Still, he tried to get a campaign fix from Falcon before going public.

“After trying to deal with this privately for the past two days, with no apologies or consequences to date, I share it publicly to urge accountability,” he wrote.

The post caught the attention of other leadership candidates on social media.

Val Litwin: “I am so sorry that you had to experience this horrible event, Diamond. There can be no place for this kind of behavior in the advancement of the British Columbia Liberal Party, or anywhere else. “

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Renee Merrifield: “I am very proud of Diamond for standing up. Silence is complicity. I will not remain silent or be a keeper of secrets. “

Gavin Dew: “This happens to women every day. If someone on our campaign team did what is described here, they would no longer be part of our team. Period.”

Ellis Ross: “Diamond; you speak for my daughters, mothers, aunts, sisters, friends. I have always encouraged women to speak out against harassment and abuse, including my own daughters.”

Christy Clark: “Many of us are absolutely disgusted by what you describe, but we are also encouraged by your decision to go public. We know it could have been any of us just as easily. “

About two hours after Isinger’s post, Falcon chimed in.

“I am deeply concerned about the allegations against my team members,” he wrote in his statement. “I have asked my campaign co-chair to identify a third party to investigate and bring this matter to a respectful and meaningful conclusion.”

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Later Sunday night, he spoke to Isinger on the phone, offered an apology and got his account of what happened.

On Monday morning, he announced that he had already learned enough to confirm his version in at least one key respect.

“She had informed me about the specific actions of a particular individual on the team,” Falcón said in his statement. “Since then we have spoken with that member and based on the conversation, there was sufficient recognition of Diamond’s account and I have terminated the relationship between him and my campaign team.”

She also praised Isinger, “for speaking on behalf of herself and all the women who have experienced these encounters. … I hope we can work together to ensure that women never have to be subjected to this type of toxic behavior again. “

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Still, Falcón, as the presumed leader in the leadership race, should explain why he waited so long.

The Liberal Party in its autopsy on the defeat of the 2020 election documented how then-leader Andrew Wilkinson twice hindered the campaign by hesitating to decisively address major controversies involving candidates Laurie Throness and Jane Thornthwaite.

According to what Isinger said, Falcón could have prevented a public eruption by apologizing to her on Saturday and cleaning the house immediately.

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