WRPS Superintendent named in lawsuit has retired
Posted Jan 31, 2018 04:21:09 AM.
Last Updated Jan 31, 2018 06:14:09 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A high ranking member of the Waterloo Regional Police Service is retiring.
Superintendent Pat Dietrich is among those named in affidavits in a proposed class-action lawsuit by current and former officers which allege sexual harassment and discrimination within the service.
None of the allegations have been proven in court, and the proposed class-action has not been certified.
Douglas Elliott is a partner with Cambridge LLP. and lead counsel in the class-action lawsuit.
He says Superintendent Dietrich is named by two women in affidavits.
“He’s named in the affidavit of Sgt. Karin Eder for sending an unsolicited picture of his naked penis to her, and making unsolicited sexual suggestions. In addition, Dr. Kathy Hogarth indicates in her affidavit that she was approached by multiple women, who made similar complaints against Dietrich.”
Elliott says he was shocked to hear of Dietrich’s early retirement.
“I was surprised that hear he’s retiring at this point – I was aware that he had been removed from the Unfounded Sexual Assault Task Force .. so I knew there was probably some concern finally by management at WRPS about Superintendent Dietrich. I certainly did not expect him to retire just weeks before cross-examinations begin though.”
The early retirement does affect the lawsuit in a few ways.
“Once he’s retired – he can’t be the subject of disciplinary proceedings, charged under the police services act, or be demoted. So he’ll retire with a nice big fat pension as a Superintendent – but that does not put him out of reach as a witness in this lawsuit.”
Elliott says cross-examinations will be taking place over a two-week period in February.
“We’ll be in front of the Justice in March – and then we’ll head towards a certification hearing, and the motion to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to hear the class-action on June 18th in Brampton.”
Meantime, WRPS have released the following statement to 570 NEWS regarding Dietrich’s retirement.
“As an organization we will not be commenting on a current member’s employment status.”
