A female officer who first came forward in January with sexual harassment allegations against the RCMP has now filed a second lawsuit against the agency.
Const. Karen Katz, an RCMP officer who has written four books about outlaw biker culture, filed a lawsuit in January targeting a colleague, along with the federal and provincial governments.
In a second suit, Katz is now taking the RCMP and the Attorney General of Canada to court over allegations of harassment, sexual harassment and humiliation dating back to the 1980s.
In her most recent court statement, Katz says she was described by a superior as being a security risk who was infatuated with outlaw motorcycle gangs and biker men.
The description is just one example of "offensive, humiliating and demeaning" sexual comments Katz says she has been subjected to from within the RCMP.
Katz took medical leave from the national police force in February 2009 due to post-traumatic stress she says was a result of her work experiences.
Katz claims she took her complaints to the RCMP but nothing was done about them.
RCMP Supt. Ray Bernoties said the force hasn't reviewed the most recent allegations, and that at some point all the facts will be known.
In her earlier lawsuit, filed in January, Katz said Baldev Singh Bamra started a "campaign" of complaining about her to their colleagues within the RCMP's protective services division in Vancouver.
None of Katz's allegations have been proven in court.
She claims she asked for a transfer in 2006, but Bamra was later transferred to the same watch.
Bamra's behaviour escalated once he was transferred to her watch, Katz alleged in her January lawsuit.
In 2007, Katz claimed in court documents, Bamra pinned her on a desk and pushed his genitals against her until she was able to free herself.
Both were constables at the time, but Bamra was Katz's superior when he occasionally filled the role of acting corporal, says the statement of claim.
She eventually reported the incident to a psychologist, and subsequently to a superior, but said neither an investigation nor discipline was carried out.
Katz is seeking unspecified damages in relation to the initial lawsuit.
The RCMP confirmed it has launched an internal review and has brought in the Vancouver police to conduct a criminal investigation into Katz’s allegations.
Katz's claims are among a handful of similar complaints by female officers who claim they were subjected to abuse within the RCMP, particularly in B.C. where the agency has the largest presence in the country.
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson has vowed he'll root out such "dark-hearted behaviour" within the force.
