A group of women hired as contractors for Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) has filed a $65-million lawsuit against the social housing provider and 13 of its staff, saying they endured 10 years of sexual harassment.

A few of the allegations in the statement of claim dated March 21 and received by OCH on March 28 include:

That one of the men sniffed the seat of one of the contractors on numerous occasions.

That some of the men touched the contractors inappropriately, including by rubbing their shoulders and touching their sides.

That one of the men gave one of the women gifts and, when she told him she didn't want them, called her a "f--king b---h."

That one of the men would try to look down one of the contractor's shirts, told her there were rumours they were having sex — and that he wished they were true — and repeatedly advised her to "loosen up, baby."

That one of the men repeatedly asked to see the women in bikinis.

The lawsuit names 13 employees, all men, and describes OCH as "a workplace poisoned by a discriminatory and sexualized culture that condones and encourages sexual harassment and assault, as well as gender-based discrimination towards women."

The five women who filed the lawsuit, all sisters, worked for Dentemp Contracting + Inc. and Stonewall Contracting Corporation, doing maintenance and repair work at OCH properties.

OCH has not yet filed a statement of defence, and the allegations made in the lawsuit have not been tested in court.

Investigation confirmed inappropriate comments, jokes

The contractors eventually filed a complaint with OCH and were promised that a woman would be put in charge of their work, according to the statement of claim.

Instead, one of the men the women complained about was placed in a supervisory role, the claim alleges.

The lawsuit alleges the men weren't disciplined or fired, and that OCH is vicariously responsible for their actions and for failing to provide a work environment free of gender-based discrimination and harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault.

The lawsuit also alleges that the contractors were blacklisted for coming forward, lost out on work and income, and suffered personally and psychologically.

The statement of claim also refers to a report prepared for OCH by an independent investigator sometime around November 2018, "confirming that OCH staff engaged in behaviour amounting to sexual harassment, sexual assault and discrimination based upon gender in respect of their treatment of the female contractors."

None of the plaintiffs have seen the report, the claim notes.

OCH spokesperson Nathaniel Mullin said Tuesday that an investigation was carried out after complaints were brought forward to OCH, and that the investigator determined inappropriate comments and jokes had in fact been made.

We take allegations of harassment very seriously ... The corporation has clear policies that govern how these complaints are handled. - Ottawa Community Housing

That was then reported to staff, Mullin added.

As for the statement of claim as a whole, OCH said in a statement that they're reviewing it and won't comment on ongoing litigation or individual personnel matters.

"Discrimination, assault and harassment of any kind, including of sexual nature, have no place at Ottawa Community Housing," the statement said.

"We take allegations of harassment very seriously. If a complaint is formally received, OCHC's policy is to conduct an investigation into the matter. The corporation has clear policies that govern how these complaints are handled."

Related lawsuit filed last year

In July 2018, a man who identified himself as one of the women's sympathizers filed a nearly $1-million lawsuit against OCH, alleging he was fired in connection with their complaints.

The former OCH property manager's statement of claim states his termination on Feb. 6, 2018, was the result of his "sympathy and co-operation for the investigation into ... allegations of sexual harassment," and not because he had a conflict of interest arising from a personal relationship with one of the contractors, as OCH claims.

His claim states he was placed on administrative leave "based on unfounded and unparticularized allegations" that he had a conflict with a contractor "who performed work under [his] direction and authorization."

He denies ever having an inappropriate personal or professional relationship with the two companies or its principals and employees, and that any relationship he did have didn't create a conflict of interest or violate OCH's policies.

"OCH does not have a defined policy regarding conflicts of interest by employees, or in the alternative, the policy is so vague so as to be unenforceable," the claim alleges.

OCH not aware of complaints when employee fired

In its statement of defence, the OCH outlined its "clear" conflict of interest and code of conduct policies, claiming the man was one of the five employees who reviewed drafts of an updated conflict of interest policy in 2015 and provided feedback.

The agency said it received complaints from two of his colleagues in June 2017, alleging he had an "undisclosed personal relationship" with the principals of Dentemp and Stonewall, that he continued supervising their work, and that "OCH was invoiced for work which was not done, and/or work which was not properly done as a result."

An investigation found evidence of a personal relationship with the principals of the companies, which was presented to the plaintiff, and he was terminated with cause

OCH also described the former property manager's allegation that he was fired as a result of sympathizing with the women as "patently false, frivolous and vexatious."

OCH said it only became aware of the women's complaints in a letter from their lawyer on Feb 7, 2018, the day after his termination, according to their statement of defence.

The firing "could not possibly have been motivated by his support for a complaint of which OCH was not yet aware," the agency said.

The allegations in the second lawsuit and OCH's statement of defence have not been tested in court.