Chiefs take allegation against Dumas seriously: acting grand chief

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This article was published 24/03/2022 (1043 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has reassured the public it “takes all allegations of harassment at the workplace very seriously” as it investigates suspended grand chief Arlen Dumas, who has been accused of sexual assault by a senior female staffer.

Acting grand chief Eric Redhead issued the statement Thursday.

The staff member filed a police complaint and formally notified her workplace last week, writing in an email to AMC’s executive council that Dumas subjected her to “harassment, sexual harassment, and sexualized violence.”

In his statement, Redhead said the political organization, which represents 62 First Nations in Manitoba, wants to make sure its employees are protected, including their privacy.

“We also want to ensure that the complainant’s privacy and confidentiality are protected. As this is an ongoing matter and to ensure that the investigation continues to be fair, I am unable to provide any further details or commentary.

“I can say that we will be working to ensure that our policies and constitution provide a clear process for moving forward in the event that situations like this occur in the future and to ensure that our policies exceed federal standards,” he wrote.

Redhead was appointed Monday following Dumas’s suspension on March 18.

No charges have been laid and Dumas has not commented on the sexual assault allegation.

The woman wrote in her email that Dumas had harassed her by phone, in person and virtually since her second day on the job, and he sexually assaulted her.

“My personal experience of harassment and sexual misconduct has created an unsafe work environment where I have been subjected to gender-based violence,” the woman wrote. “I am unable to provide more details to this issue, as a formal complaint has been filed with the Winnipeg Police Service sex crimes unit, but I can confirm from my experience, I was sexually assaulted.”

Dumas was elected as grand chief in 2017, and re-elected for another three-year term last year.

Two other Winnipeg women have previously spoken publicly about experiencing inappropriate behaviour from Dumas.

Partway through his first term, in 2019, he took a two-week leave of absence after a Winnipeg woman more than 20 years his junior accused him of sending inappropriate texts and Facebook messages to her.

He denied those allegations, saying someone had impersonated him.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca