A Quebec labour tribunal has delivered a landmark ruling, finding that former Montreal police chief Philippe Pichet was subjected to systematic psychological harassment by the City of Montreal following his controversial removal from the force's top position.
A Troubled Reintegration
The Tribunal administratif du travail determined that the city engaged in conduct that gradually marginalized, isolated, and professionally excluded Pichet after his 2018 reinstatement agreement. Administrative judge François Caron stated in his November 5 decision that while the city had committed to returning Pichet to a leadership role, it adopted a "diametrically opposed" stance from the very next day.
Pichet's troubles began when he was suspended with pay in December 2017 following a scathing government-ordered report that revealed a dysfunctional police command structure plagued by personal and professional rivalries. The report also uncovered serious issues with how the SPVM handled internal affairs, including multiple criminal allegations against officers that were never properly investigated.
From Chief to Outcast
After abandoning his lawsuit for reinstatement as police chief, Pichet reached a 2018 agreement with the City of Montreal to return as a chief inspector. However, the tribunal found this reintegration was anything but smooth.
The ruling detailed how Pichet was sent to work at the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime, where staff expressed concerns about being associated with an ousted police chief. This assignment left Pichet with what the judge described as "a feeling of rejection."
Subsequent positions included work related to public security at Montreal's Trudeau airport and mandates to review the commercialization of SPVM services. Judge Caron determined these roles were incompatible with Pichet's position as chief inspector and amounted to what another court would later call a "disguised dismissal."
Systematic Exclusion and Health Consequences
The harassment reached its peak when Pichet returned to the SPVM in February 2021 after a stint as director general of the City of Fermont. He was assigned to a planning role but faced extraordinary restrictions, including being barred from police stations and required to communicate through an intermediary when contacting anyone within the organization.
For over a year, Pichet worked without essential tools for his job, including access to necessary databases. The tribunal described these measures as "excessive" and part of a pattern that created "an objectively harmful work environment."
Medical evidence presented to the tribunal showed Pichet had no psychological issues before his troubled reintegration. However, the stress eventually led to diagnoses of depression and PTSD, forcing him into medical leave just days before he was finally scheduled to begin what the tribunal called his first "real" chief inspector position in October 2022.
The cumulative effect of what the ruling described as "repeated hostile or unwanted behaviour" ultimately undermined Pichet's dignity and psychological integrity. He officially retired in November 2023, with the tribunal concluding that the city's actions had effectively turned him into "persona non grata" within his own police force.
The decision reserves judgment on compensation for a later date, leaving open the possibility of additional rulings regarding financial damages for the former police chief's treatment.
