Warning: This article contains sexually explicit details. Discretion is advised.
A female RCMP officer in B.C., was ordered to forfeit 20 days’ pay and 10 days’ annual leave after she made sexual comments towards a male officer and touched his genitals.
In a 21-page disciplinary report, Const. Valerie Little was found to have committed sexual misconduct against an unnamed male officer, only referred to as A.F. in the report, in two incidents 10 years ago in Vernon.
The disciplinary hearing ultimately found that Little made an inappropriate sexual comment towards the male officer on Nov. 1, 2009 and inappropriately touched his genitals on Feb. 3, 2010.
Little was also ordered to forfeit promotion eligibility for two years in the report issued in January, and to work under close supervision for one year and not be posted to the same detachment as the male constable.
According to the report, the first incident happened in the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP detachment’s video room, where Little and the male officer were watching colleagues interview a suspect in a sex crime via video feed as part of training.
Notably, the two officers are no longer assigned to the Vernon detachment.
“At one point in the interview, when the male suspect was discussing his own sexual preferences, you leaned over to Constable A. F. and placed your right hand on his left thigh and quietly whispered in his ear words to the effect of: ‘I like to take it from behind,'” the report said.
Little told the conduct hearing that she did not recall watching such an interview and that she would not behave in such a way especially because she was new to the detachment at the time.
The conduct board, however, found it more probable than not that the incidents did occur.
The second incident occurred in a hallway during a conversation about the detachment participating in a community game of broomball.
“It became known amongst the tournament players that they needed to take steps to protect themselves by wearing a jockstrap and cup as the game can get ‘pretty rough,'” the report said, adding that the two officers were eventually the only ones left in the hallway for what happened next.
“You approached Constable A. F. while he was leaning up against a wall. You proceeded to grab the penis of Constable A. F. and squeezed his penis with your fingers while stating: ‘I see you’re not wearing a cup,'” the report said.
The document goes on to note that the male officer sought help from a retired Mountie, but that she “did not take his complaint as a male victim of sexual assault seriously as she ‘chuckled’ when informed.”
According to the report, Little “emphatically” denied touching A. F. and said she was not part of the hallway conversation at all.
The conduct board sided with the male officer, saying it is “unlikely” he was lying because “the less embarrassing and stressful route would have been to not file a sexual misconduct complaint.”
According to the report, A.F. filed the complaint after running into Little in Nanaimo, where he was working, in 2017
“The parties unexpectedly met again on Aug. 2, 2018, while they were attending a medical appointment located in the same building in Nanaimo,” said the report. “The parties have dissimilar versions of this encounter.”
The report noted that Little had no record of prior discipline and was described as an enthusiastic and highly competent member, and that her approach to “personal and professional pressures are inspirational.”
It also said reference letters submitted by her peers, a supervisor and her field coach said they have no concerns working with her again and would welcome such an opportunity.
In noting aggravating factors, the report cited the RCMP’s repeated messaging to employees since 2003 that harassment and sexual misconduct is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated.
“Members of the RCMP are held to a higher standard of behaviour than the general public, both on- and off-duty,” the conduct board said.
“I find that a reasonable person in society, with knowledge of all the relevant circumstances, including the realities of policing in general and the RCMP in particular, would view Constable Little’s actions as likely to bring discredit to the force.”
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