Toxic workplace allegations against Lennoxville, Que., college front and centre during public meeting

The union representing teachers at Champlain College Lennoxville says it has known about the campus's allegedly toxic work climate "for many years," and it's calling on the school's board of governors to do something about it.

Following a CBC News investigation, issues about the work climate at the CEGEP in the Lennoxville borough of Sherbrooke, Que., were the focus of a public board of governors meeting on Friday.

Campus director Nancy Beattie is the subject of hearings at the Tribunal administratif du travail, Quebec's labour tribunal. She is facing allegations that she psychologically harassed colleagues. No judgment has been rendered. 

CBC News obtained nine days of recorded testimony and learned there are several current and former senior employees who said the working environment makes it difficult to perform their jobs and has affected their physical and mental health.

During testimony at the hearings, nepotism and conflict-of-interest allegations against Beattie have also surfaced.

Champlain College Lennoxville is one of three campuses that are part of Champlain Regional College. 

In a statement that was read during Friday's meeting, Geneviève Dufresne-Martin, a vice-president and treasurer with the Syndicat de l'enseignement du Collège Champlain de Lennoxville, said the union "has witnessed numerous problems related to the work climate and governance at Champlain College Lennoxville."

Those issues were raised on several occasions with human resources and the college's administration, including Yves Rainville, Champlain Regional College's interim director, and grievances were filed, the statement reads. 

"Despite the union's many efforts, the issues have yet to be fully addressed and resolved," the union statement reads.

"Unfortunately, many events over the past few years have contributed to the deterioration of the overall climate and have eroded the faculty's trust in the college administration."

The administration is therefore turning to the Champlain Board of Governors to ask "what concrete actions you will take to address the problems raised in the article and by our union and what timeframe you propose for the implementation of these actions," the statement says.

Friday's board of governors meeting started about an hour later than expected. Beattie was present but told CBC News, "I am not at liberty to comment" on the union's statement.

The campus administration said it has completed an internal investigation, but it wasn't immediately clear what the findings were.

According to a letter obtained by CBC, the Higher Education Ministry has launched an investigation into the management and finances at Champlain College Lennoxville and the regional college as a whole.

"We are co-operating with them and providing them all the information they need," Matthew Mazur, the chair of the board of governors meeting, told CBC News. 

"Once we have the findings from them, we will act further from there."

Two ministry representatives were present Friday evening. 

Testimony at labour tribunal hearings

During the ongoing hearings at the labour tribunal, four people who reported to Beattie testified under oath against her — including one person, Jennifer Coley-Gomez, who is the plaintiff in the case. 

She testified that there were instances where she was humiliated at work. 

Catherine Gingras broke down sobbing before the tribunal as she described the toxic work environment and her unease in testifying. She was the Lennoxville campus's human resources manager at the time of her testimony.

"It's intimidating," she told the tribunal. 

"I love my job but with everything that I have said, how could you expect me to stay employed at the college now?"

On Thursday, Brigitte Robert, president of the faculty union at Champlain College Lennoxville said the union takes the information presented by CBC "very seriously." 

"We are concerned by the turnover of staff in the management team. It affects our members' work and consequently our students," said Robert. 

Gabriel Geraghty, the vice-president academic of the Champlain Lennoxville students' association, says he was surprised by the allegations. He says he'll likely discuss the issue with school staff and the association will be watching closely for future developments. 

"This is above the students' level but whatever happens probably will affect them so we are keeping tabs on it," said Geraghty. 

"But it's up to the college and the heads of the college to decide what happens."

Estelle Morin, a professor at HEC Montreal and a psychologist, says she is surprised the board of directors would approve Beattie's position as director. 

"I am also surprised that [Beattie] has accepted to take that kind of position," said Morin. 

"If she's entitled to that kind of position she could get a similar position in another college and she wouldn't be in that kind of situation, of a conflict of interest."