HMCS Goose Bay’s commanding officer has been permanently relieved of command after he made “inappropriate comments” to a subordinate earlier this week, the Canadian Forces say.
Lt.-Cmdr. Robert Tucker was removed of command of the ship on Thursday.
“It was due to some inappropriate comments he made at a social event on the ship,” said Lt. Matthew Howse, spokesperson for Maritime Forces Atlantic. “The comments weren’t any form of sexual harassment or anything like that in nature, it was just an inappropriate comment he had made in front of his subordinates at a social event.”
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Howse said the incident took place when the vessel, which has about 40 crew, was alongside Caraquet, N.B.
The decision, according to Howse, was based largely because the comments were directed at a subordinate while other subordinates were around. He said it was immediately reported by Tucker’s second-in-command.
“If an incident like that does occur, it could cause subordinates to lose trust so it’s safest that he be removed from command,” Howse told Global News.
An administrative investigation has finished looking into the facts of the case, but Howse said other administrative actions have not been determined. He added there was nothing of a criminal nature found.
Howse added that a commanding officer being relieved of command of a ship is not a common occurrence.
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