The embattled Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) says it will make sweeping changes to rebuild the organization more than four months after staff came forward with shocking allegations of racism and LGBT censorship.
The national museum in Winnipeg released a new framework Thursday that includes 40 strategies the organization says it will take to achieve five outcomes. The framework focuses largely on repairing damage to the LGBT community, tackling systemic racism, and improving how harassment in the workplace is handled.
“Our approach must address systemic racism and discrimination in our workplace in a meaningful way. It cannot be window dressing. It will take a sustained effort over time,” said the museum’s new CEO Isha Khan in a news release.
Khan, who started her job in August after then-CEO John Young resigned, said the CMHR has been working hard to challenge its “systems” and the way it operates.
The museum has been in a crisis since June when CBC reported it sometimes forced staff to censor LGBT material. That revelation came on the heels of allegations of racism from former employees.
Shortly after, five current and former employees came forward to CBC alleging they had been sexually harassed by the same male colleague. The women said they felt their complaints to human resources were unfairly dismissed.
The museum said Thursday it will set expectations for all staff on how to identify and respond to discrimination and harassment in the workplace
It will review all current exhibits to find where stories of people from Indigenous, Black, LGBT, and disability communities have not been adequately included and make changes as necessary.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/cmhr-releases-framework-forward-1.5790972