Child advocate suspended, resigns over harassment complaints

The province’s advocate for children and youth resigned Thursday afternoon.

Corey O’Soup initially was suspended after multiple complaints of harassment against him and an investigation into the complaints. Later in the day, he resigned and said through his lawyer that the complaints involved him and one other person in the children’s advocate office, mainly involving electronic communication.

The province’s board of internal economy announced the suspension in a media release, saying the investigation was conducted by an independent investigator “with extensive experience investigating harassment complaints.”

The media release said that, under the Legislative Assembly Act, individuals appointed as independent officers of the legislative assembly may only be removed by a vote of members of the Legislative Assembly.

“Harassment cannot be tolerated in any workplace, and certainly not in the office of a statutory officer of the Assembly,” Mark Docherty, the speaker of the Legislative Assembly, said in the release.

“I want to assure the staff members of the advocate’s office, and of all statutory offices, that we support their right to work in a safe and respectful environment. I fully intend to bring this matter before the Assembly at the earliest opportunity in its next sitting.”

After the announcement of his suspension, O’Soup tendered his resignation via a media release from his lawyer, Mark Vanstone.

In the release, O’Soup said, “I would like to first apologize to my family, friends, the children of Saskatchewan and to the staff members of the Advocate’s office.”

Vanstone said his client “wants to clarify that the harassment complaint involved him and one other individual in the advocate office and primarily consisted of inappropriate electronic communication and was not physical in nature.”

Provincial ombudsman Mary McFadyen has been appointed interim advocate for children and youth.

“Ms. McFadyen is uniquely positioned to serve as Interim Advocate, given the historical linkage between the two roles. I am confident that under her leadership, the rights of Saskatchewan’s children and youth will be well-protected,” Docherty said in the release.

The advocate for children and youth is a statutory officer of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. The position advocates for the rights, interests, and well-being of children and youth in the province.