Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Bernie Bush issued a written apology to a female civil servant over lewd comments he made to her, leaving the woman shocked and upset.
Though the comments have been described and dismissed as “a joke” by the minister, it has opened the discussion on what is considered appropriate and acceptable workplace conduct, especially from those within positions of power.
The woman involved in the incident, a Caymanian government employee, expressed dismay over the handling of the situation by government leaders over several months and suggested that it has compounded the situation, causing her further stress.
“What he said was so vulgar,” the woman, who we have agreed not to name, told the Cayman Compass.
“I did not expect that from him, and especially not in the workplace.”
Bush did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
In his correspondence expressing remorse, the West Bay North MP accepted his comments were “unprofessional”, saying they were intended as a joke and had no “malintent”.
However, the civil servant believes stronger action is needed.
She added that she does not believe that any employee, male or female, should have to put up with disrespectful behaviour in the workplace.
In email exchanges between the civil servant and her superiors, seen by the Compass, she characterises Bush’s attitude as unapologetic, and indicates his language suggests a shifting of the blame to the civil servant for being offended.
In her account, Bush comes across as mystified by the furore his comments caused, apparently telling her on one occasion that he had told the same joke to many people on many occasions and “no one had been offended”.
The civil servant described Bush’s apology as “not genuine” and his behaviour as “unacceptable”, and suggested he should be asked to step down from his Cabinet post.
The minister is alleged to have made comments about the size of his private parts to the woman, and made reference to condoms while gesturing towards his crotch.
Premier Wayne Panton and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who is head of the Civil Service, were both informed of the incident and asked to resolve it.
Both gave vague general answers in response to questions from the Compass.
Neither was willing to comment in any detail about the specific incident involving Bush or to say what action they had taken.
Changing workplace culture
Experts say there is a fine line between humour and harassment in the workplace.
Professional corporate training and education platform EVERFI, in an article on this issue, wrote, “whether it is an off-hand comment, a casual remark, or a mocking phrase, these can be hurtful and have a lasting impact on workplace culture.
“Sometimes, it may just be a poor choice of words with nothing behind it. But often, teasing and inappropriate jokes conceal a mean-spirited attempt to put a coworker or staff member down. In either case, off-colour jokes can quickly become problematic in the work environment,” it stated.
Cayman’s own Sexual Harassment Bill addresses and interprets inappropriate jokes as possible cases of sexual harassment, and references those as a possible offence.
The bill notes that “sexual harassment encompasses a wide range of inappropriate conduct or acts”, and also points to “sexual pranks, or repeated sexual teasing, jokes, or innuendo, in person or via e-mail or other electronic means” as offending.
The bill has yet to be passed into law.
Conduct of concern?
When asked about the situation by the Compass, Manderson, in an emailed response that did not specifically reference Bush, wrote, “The responsibility for overseeing Ministers’ behaviour lies with the Premier. I can verify that any concerns brought to my attention regarding Ministers’ conduct have been forwarded to the Premier. I can also affirm that the Premier has taken these reports seriously and handled them appropriately.”
When pressed further to explain what he was referring to and what steps had been taken to protect individuals, like the civil servant who have complained, Manderson added, “As Head of the Civil Service, I am responsible for the welfare of staff. This responsibility is something carried out diligently and promptly. In response to your specific questions about specific employees, it would be inappropriate for me to comment.”
The complainant said she had been frustrated with what she saw as a lack of action against the minister, and said she had sought mental health support following the incident.
‘A moment of lightheartedness’
A formal complaint was first made to Manderson and an inquiry was launched when the incident occurred at the Government Administration Building on 28 Feb.
Premier Panton was off-island at the time, so the issue was raised with then Acting Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly.
Following that, Bush issued his apology in person and in writing.
The Compass has obtained a copy of the 4 May letter issued to the civil servant, in which the minister described his comments as a “joke” and admitted that it was “unprofessional”.
“With the benefit of hindsight, I wish that I had not pursued comments which were meant to invoke jovialness and a moment of light-heartedness. Certainly, there was no malintent with respect to my comments. I previously apologized to you in person and offer this in writing as well. I give you my full assurance that it will not happen again,” Bush wrote in the letter.
The woman believed the apology was not sufficient and has pressed the premier and civil service leaders to take the incident more seriously.
Panton, in response to questions from the Compass, said he had an unparalleled record in “holding members of government accountable for inappropriate behaviour”.
In response to our questions about a potential case of harassment, he wrote, “I do not tolerate matters such as harassment. Other than what is already in the public domain and which has previously been the subject of action and commentary, I am not aware of any other such matters levelled against any member of Government.”
Asked about the specific incident involving Bush, he declined to respond further.
Last year, Bush was stripped of his home affairs portfolio and placed on two weeks of unpaid leave following “infringements of Section 55 of the Constitution and breaches to two sections of the Ministerial Code of Conduct”.
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