MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Mayor Hazel McCallion and city councillors were behind closed doors Wednesday afternoon at the Civic Centre while they participated in an in-camera session with Police Chief Mike Metcalf concerning the hazing incidents involving Mississauga municipal workers.
Once the doors were opened to the media, police announced no criminal charges would be laid, after the workers involved stated they willingly took part. However, city manager Janice Baker said as a result of an internal investigation, two supervisors would be suspended without pay. There was no word on how long the suspensions would last.
"All the people [...] in the video tape, that were duct taped - we've spoken to all of them. They are not concerned about what happened to them at all. They just don't feel they are victims at all," Metcalf told 680News.
"Usually, you have to have intentionally applied force against your will. All of them were willing to participate in this. It's kind of unfair to even talk about a criminal charge because it's not. They consented to it," he continued.
However, councillor Carolyn Parrish said she believes the investigation would continue.
She excused herself from the meeting early and told 680News "I had to make up my own mind. It's like a conflict of interest. You have to decide at which point you will or you won't do something, and I won't sit there while the police chief still has an investigation going on, being influenced by the other councillors. It's inappropriate."
She added that this hazing case was not an isolated one, and the problem is far more widespread.
"If you have any children that have been bullied at school, the first seven or eight weeks they're bullied they don't tell you because they want to be a good sport.... so people don't want - especially grown men - don't want to be accused of being wimps. So a lot of people don't complain about this. They grin and they bear it," she said.
Although Parrish was the only councillor who left the meeting early,
other city councillors said they were disgusted and appalled.
Peel police were first alerted about the events last November after they were called in to investigate the bizarre incidents of staff who were duct taped and spanked by co-workers over a five year period. An employee with the Transportation and Works Department capturing footage of the abuse on his cellphone camera.
Const. Wayne Patterson said they started the investigation after viewing the video of what municipal staff referred to as "horseplay." He added the video alone made the incident appear "more than inappropriate'' and showed potential for a "criminal act going on.''
An independent investigation determined the workers were simply engaging in horseplay and locker-room behaviour.
The employees were disciplined, but it was determined by city officials that a termination was not warranted.