Texting after meeting disciplinary

Photo archival Stevens LeBlanc
Gilles Parent was the subject of a complaint filed to the human resources of Cogeco.

Marie-Renée Grondin and
Nicolas Saillant

Friday, 20 October 2017 00:00

UPDATE
Friday, 20 October 2017 00:00

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Gilles Parent has been the subject of a formal complaint and had to apologize to Catherine Desbiens at a meeting of disciplinary action in June 2016. Despite this, he continued to send text messages moved to the young woman in the weeks that followed.

After having placed a hand on the buttock of his employee during a party after the poll on may 26, 2016, Gilles Parent was the subject of a complaint filed to the human resources of Cogeco. “I didn’t want that sort of complaint, I was afraid, I was afraid that Gilles turns against me,” said the victim, recalling that this is not it, but a co-worker, “right hand” of the director, who has filed the complaint.

Cogeco has then given to it. “Me, I had to fill in a letter which spoke of harassment and Gilles was forced to fill out also. We were met by the director of programming, in the time, Pierre Martineau, as a whole, ” says Ms. Desbiens.

More text messages

Catherine Desbiens admits that Gilles Parent has made amends to the result of that meeting. “He said : “Sorry, I didn’t think it made you all something, but actually, it was moved”, ” Mrs. Desbiens.

Yet, she says, and the text messages to support, that the facilitator has continued his harassing behavior and sexual nature (see box). “He was actually texting very moved after the complaint,” she said, adding that it has informed Pierre Martineau. “I just want you to know that he sends me more text messages “, she said to her boss.

A behavior that Gilles Parent knew to be inappropriate, since he asked the young woman to clear the messages.

Dismissal

The letter of June 3, 2016, written by the director general of programmes Pierre Martineau, says black on white that Catherine Desbiens will be able to continue to work within the station and as a researcher and Gilles Parent ” peace of mind “. It is, however, adamant and claims to have lost his job.

“I had two weeks a replacement already planned even before this happened, so I made them and after that, I have never had a replacement “, she says speaking about the show’s return. Regarding his employment relationship at Cogeco, Catherine Desbiens said to have been compacted when the station cut off half his working hours at the beginning of 2017.