Newmarket-Aurora MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy is facing allegations from multiple former employees who say she has repeatedly been responsible for workplace abuse and bullying.
Marketing firm Mi2 is representing a group of former female and male employees who said they share similar experiences of unfair treatment by the Conservative MPP in the workplace. The group, comprised of at least seven of the former employees according to Mi2, all related incidents in which Gallagher Murphy lashed out, was overly critical, contacted them by telephone at unreasonable hours of the day, and treated employees poorly.
NewmarketToday is using aliases to protect the identities of those speaking out against Gallagher Murphy, as they fear possible reprisal and job loss in the government sector.
One former employee, Jane, described how everyone working in Gallagher Murphy's office felt the impact of the MPP's behaviour.
“By the end of my brief tenure, I was a nervous wreck,” she said. “I dreaded going to work and felt physically ill whenever the phone rang in the evenings or on weekends, especially if it was her. The experience left me disillusioned and emotionally drained. Looking back, I now recognize it as workplace bullying. The physical and emotional toll — nausea, sleeplessness, and depression — was a direct result of the toxic environment I endured. I still struggle.”
None of the allegations have been tested or proven in a court of law.
A similar complaint did go before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, filed by former constituency manager Teena Bogner, in which Gallagher Murphy was alleged to have fostered a “toxic” work environment. Bogner lasted in the role for only a couple of months, in which she helped "improve professional decorum and morale within the office, which had experienced significant staffing changes," according to her filing to the board.
Her filing claimed she was fired after speaking out about Gallagher Murphy’s treatment of her to PC Caucus Services, and claimed this amounted to an unlawful dismissal.
The matter was scheduled to go to a hearing Feb. 25, but it has been resolved via a settlement, according to a letter sent to the Ontario Labour Relations Board from Bogner’s legal representative acquired by NewmarketToday.
Asked about the case's outcome, Bogner said it was resolved to her "full satisfaction."
Regarding the labour concerns, a representative of Gallagher Murphy’s office said the MPP is declining to comment.
Jane said she decided to leave after receiving a late-night call from Gallagher Murphy criticizing something job-related.
“Her complete lack of boundaries was overwhelming. She would call at all hours, demanding immediate responses, even when the issues were far from urgent,” Jane said. “I realized I could no longer live like that. Although I had an exit interview before leaving, I’m unsure if any action was taken.”
NewmarketToday received a copy of an exit interview allegedly sent to the office of Premier Doug Ford.
The group of complainants said though there was no consistency in how they approached their departures, some complaints were made to the Progressive Conservative Party and/or Labour Ministry. Bogner notably raised her concern with Progressive Conservative Caucus Services, shortly after which she was terminated, according to her filing with the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
NewmarketToday requested comment from the Ontario PC Party, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, and the Premier’s Office, but did not receive any responses by publication deadline.
When the premier was asked at a Queen's Park news conference today by The Trillium on behalf of NewmarketToday if he still supported Gallagher Murphy as a candidate in light of the allegations, he said he was unaware of the issue but that she has his support.
"Well, this is the first I have heard of this," Ford responded. "We always act professionally and we always respect our employees. And to answer your question, I do support Dawn. She does incredible work within her community."
Sam, another former employee, said she experienced similar bullying and that the MPP was much different behind the scenes.
“She puts on a really great face in terms of being a politician, they all do. She seems very well put together and very professional,” Sam said. “The more I worked with her, the more intense the experience became. She would act out a lot whenever she didn’t get her way, or a mistake was made or something wasn’t working out … She would resort to name-calling. Mistakes basically were not tolerated whatsoever.”
Seeing the publication of Bogner's case in local media led both Jane and Sam to want to speak out, too, they said. The complainants came together through that story, arranging a meeting with a lawyer before putting out their concerns through a news release with a marketing firm.
Mark Giles, a principal with Mi2, a PR firm, stated in a news release that with at least seven former employees having accusations against Gallagher Murphy, these are not isolated incidents.
“The toll her behaviour is said to have taken on those around her cannot be ignored,” Giles said in a news release. “This type of conduct is unprofessional, harmful, and undermines the very values of respect and service that the people of Newmarket-Aurora deserve from their elected representative.”
Jane said she believes another candidate would be appropriate.
“I don’t believe this individual will change,” Jane said. “I can’t understand why she was handpicked by the premier to be our PC candidate. Our community deserves better — and I believe we should demand better. It’s time for a new candidate.
Sam said the experience left a lasting mark on her, and she has undergone therapy to address it and restore her confidence. She said she has had lingering fears about how other people could react to her work in the workplace.
Regardless, Sam said she just does not want others to go through what she did.
“My biggest goal is making sure nobody gets treated the way I did. So I really hope that Dawn understands that she can’t treat people the way she does,” Sam said. “People won’t just be silent about it. That there are repercussions to your actions, no matter how important you think you are.”