Former youth centre manager guilty of sexual harassment

A former director of Salluit’s youth rehabilitation centre, currently the head of a health organization for the James Bay Cree, was found guilty of sexual harassment this month.

Serge Pigeon worked as director of the Salluit youth rehabilitation centre between 1999 and 2000. He also worked for the Puvirnituq Hospital’s community services branch from 2000 to 2002.

On Nov. 4, Quebec’s human rights tribunal ruled Pigeon was guilty of sexually harassing Brigitte Michaud, whom he worked with at a youth home in Aylmer, Que., between 1996 and 1997.

Pigeon was the home’s chief administrator at the time and Michaud was its director.

In its decision the tribunal said Pigeon had persistently directed crass sexual innuendoes and unwanted romantic attention toward Michaud.

It ordered Pigeon and the youth home’s executive committee to pay Michaud $7,000 in damages.

Elena Labranche, director of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, said the board did not know of the allegations against Pigeon when it hired him in 1999.

“We have a policy on that [sexual harassment],” Labranche said. “It is not tolerated, 100 per cent.”

Pigeon now heads a Centre Locale de Services Communautaires for the Cree Health Board.