INNISFAIL - Innisfail-Red Deer MLA Devin Dreeshen was “heavily intoxicated” when he “aggressively yelled” at a female legislative staff member and brought her to tears during incident in a government office in Oct. 2020, according to allegations outlined in a new $400,000 lawsuit brought against the Office of the Premier of Alberta.
Ariella Kimmel, the plaintiff in the case, was employed as chief of staff to Alberta's minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation.
A copy of the statement of claim was obtained by The Albertan on Oct. 30. None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been proven in court.
The lawsuit claims the plaintiff suffered under a “poisoned work environment” and was unjustly fired for speaking out about problems she observed.
Prior to accepting the role of chief of staff, the plaintiff had been in an on again and off again romantic relationship with Dreeshen, who is Alberta’s minister of Agriculture and Forestry, the statement claims.
On Oct. 19, 2020 the plaintiff met with Dreeshen and others in a legislative office where she “observed that all the individuals were heavily intoxicated.”
The plaintiff claims she was “concerned about how intoxicated Mr. Dreeshen was and encouraged him to cease drinking.
“Mr. Dreeshen and the plaintiff departed the gathering together. After they departed, Mr. Dreeshen angrily confronted the plaintiff about ‘trying to stop him from drinking’, and aggressively yelled at her to the point where she was in tears and a concerned bystander intervened. The plaintiff was shaken and scared during this encounter.”
The suit also alleges that Ivan Bernardo, then-principal secretary in Premier Jason Kenney’s government, made a sexually inappropriate comment to one of the plaintiff’s female staff members.
“Mr. Bernardo looked at this female’s body and told her ‘I haven’t see you on this floor before because with a body like that, I would have noticed you’. This staff member was very upset by this humiliating and sexually degrading comment. Mr. Bernardo was known for making sexually inappropriate comments to female staff members.”
The plaintiff claims that on Nov. 17, 2020 she told the premier’s principal secretary “about the Oct. 19 incident with Mr. Dreeshen and the sexually harassing comment made by Mr. Bernardo. Further, the plaintiff expressed her concerns with Mr. Dreeshen’s excessive drinking and the issues it was causing her personally as well as others.”
The lawsuit also claims that on Dec. 4, 2020, the plaintiff texted Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre MLA and Government House Leader Jason Nixon to “express her concern that the sexual harassment issue was not being addressed properly, as by this point numerous Ministers and the Premier’s office knew about it and no action had been taken. Mr. Nixon wrote back to the plaintiff, assuring her that it would be addressed immediately.
“However, it wasn’t addressed. Instead Mr. Bernardo was simply told that his contract wasn’t being renewed. No steps were taken by Premier Kenney’s office to support the victim(s) or investigate the sexual harassment.”
In January 2021, the plaintiff told Pam Livingston, the chief of staff to Nixon at the time, about the “disturbing incident involving Mr. Dreeshen on Oct. 19, 2020 and advised her that she was concerned by his excessive drinking. Despite the appeal for help and support, no action was taken.”
On Feb. 5, 2021 the plaintiff’s employment was terminated.
The lawsuit calls on the court to take into account the defendant’s “unconscionable and malicious treatment of her, resulting in its failure to comply with its duty of good faith and fair dealings in the manner of dismissal, and contractural duty of honesty in both their pre and post-termination conduct.”
The plaintiff is seeking damages totalling $399,233.
Multiple calls for comment from Dreeshen through Mackenzie Blyth, his ministry’s press secretary, were unsuccessful.
“I will have to see if that’s possible. I’m not sure right now,” said Blyth on Oct. 26. “I will see what we can do.”
The following day Blyth said he would “definitely” let The Albertan know as soon as he was aware if a statement from Dreeshen was forthcoming.
“If we are able to do that you would definitely receive it,” said Blyth, adding he had been in contact with Dreeshen, and that he was “aware” the story has gone national. “If we’re going to put anything out I would definitely include you on that. I will definitely keep you up to date but I am sorry there is nothing we have right now.”
Additional calls were made to Blyth on Oct. 28 but he was not available for further comment.
In a response to a request from The Albertan, Nixon provided the following statement: “I was a approached about some troubling rumours involving Mr. Bernardo’s behaviour. Upon hearing this, I phone a trusted cabinet colleague to ask if they had heard similar rumours. After speaking with Minister (Rebecca) Schutz (Minister of Children’s Services) I immediately contacted the Premier’s then-chief of staff and human resources to inform them of the rumours I had heard and was told it was being dealt with. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Bernardo left the government.”
Schutz also provided a statement, which reads, in part: “Sexual harassment is completely unacceptable and disgusting. After hearing of the allegations, I met with Ms. Kimmel and discussed the concerns that I had heard. I then spoke to the House Leader (MLA Nixon) about these concerns.”
