But organization says mental health resources widely available and accessible to employees
A former employee of Scouts Canada has filed a $2.1-million lawsuit against the organization, alleging that his role in its safe scouting department caused him to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.
Greensides, 49, worked for Scouts Canada from 2016 to 2020, managing safety complaints involving misconduct within the organization. His responsibilities included investigating allegations of abuse, interviewing victims and alleged perpetrators, and operating a 24/7 hotline.
Greensides alleges that his role gave him "repeated exposure in responding to sexual and violent traumas" and "doing so with inadequate supports, assistance and supervision," according to a CBC report. These included cases of grooming and abuse without adequate support or supervision, according to the report citing his statement of claim. He claims the workload increased when his supervisor left and was not replaced.
In its statement of defence, Scouts Canada denies Greensides's allegations.
"Safe Scouting is a key priority for Scouts Canada, and the organization has been a Canadian leader in youth safety protocols for years," the statement reads, according to CBC.
The organization also says that Greensides’s role and its demands were clearly outlined at the time of his hiring and that he was assessed as being psychologically capable for the job.
Having experienced traumatic events in their life is a factor affecting many Canadians’ ability to work, finds a recent Statistics Canada (StatCan) report. Overall, 63 per cent of adults living in Canada say they have been exposed to a potentially traumatic event at some point in their lives.
Mental health resources at Scouts Canada
Greensides claims that the mental health supports provided during his tenure were insufficient, stating he was offered only two sessions with a psychologist per year.
"My boss never came by and just said, you know, 'How [are] you doing?' They never told me how to deal with this," he says, according to the report.
However, Scouts Canada disputes this, stating that mental health resources were widely available and accessible to employees.
According to his statement of claim, Greensides requested a transfer in 2020 and was reassigned to another position. However, he alleges this role still involved conflict management, contrary to the recommendations of a psychological assessment, according to the CBC report.
While Scouts Canada says it has no knowledge of that assessment, its statement of defence says Greensides told superiors "he felt good about his new appointment."
"I didn't want to let my team down. I didn't want to let my boss down. It was very important to me that I pushed through, and that's what I tried to do.”
Greensides states that his mental health collapsed in 2022, leaving him unable to work. He has been on leave since and says he continues to experience the effects of PTSD.
"It's overwhelming. Concentration is gone. I don't remember things. I can't focus and I can't relax. I'm on constant alert," he says, according to the CBC report. "I don't feel any self-worth or value. I feel like I'm a burden on my family. I feel like a total failure.”
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
Accommodations for mental health disorders can not be used as a “get out of jail free card,” a previous decision by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal (HRT) affirmed.
