Former employees file a complaint against a candidate for city council

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By Tim Kalinowski on August 19, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE [email protected]

Several women make allegations of inappropriate behavior against city council candidate and local business owner Bradley Whalen. Tianna Collon was one of the first to report allegations of unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate texts against Whalen on social media last week. worked as a bartender and waitress in his Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina and Club Coco in July. She has since been joined by others on social media with similar stories. Collon told the Herald earlier this week that her unease with Whalen began when she was hired as a waitress to work in her beer gardens for during Street Wheelers Weekend. was a little flirtatious with customers and staff as well, ”she said. “It was mostly young girls who worked in the staff. So that was me, my sister and a few other girls who I know are under 22. think it was appropriate to do at work. But I didn’t think much about it. She said she went to work for Whalen as a regular employee after that, and that’s when she started receiving inappropriate texts from him after hours. explained, “and I got a few messages from her saying,” You are beautiful, and I’m sorry for flirting with you. I know you’re involved right now, and I feel bad, but I can’t help it. And stuff like that. “And then I noticed he was weirder than usual around me, and he liked working women.” And I just ignored it because I didn’t want to think about the worst. And I kept getting texts about sexual remarks and things that were not appropriate to bring up with your employee. It made me very uncomfortable. “Collon said that Whalen’s inappropriate behavior eventually evolved into unwanted physical contact. Can’t really do much,” she explained. “He tried to hug me a lot. He would like to walk. next to me, touching my shoulders and rubbing my back. Just that unwanted touch. “Once, Collon said, Whalen touched her shoulder and she recoiled from the unwanted touch. He interpreted her reaction so very different in a text message he sent later. “He texted me later that day and said it was an ‘energy transfer’, and it only happens because that there is a connection. I only shuddered (he said) because I felt something. “Collon said she should have quit Whalen’s job sooner than she did. did, but denied what was going on and was vulnerable due to her financial situation.She and other staff were fired s on August 1 after Whalen told them he was going to shut down the business and file for bankruptcy. “I should have left earlier,” confirmed Collon. “As soon as I received the first texts, I should have told someone about it and realized that it was not OK. But I needed a job so badly that I ignored it. “I don’t understand the reason for some of the texts,” she admitted. “Some of them are very strange. As if he sent me a picture of his feet. I was off work; so i do my own thing, and i just get a pic of my bosses feet. “Going public was a big decision for Collon, but as soon as she did, several other women also started posting their own alleged unwanted experiences with Whalen.” I was happy to have been able to talk about it as soon as possible, ”said Collon. “And now these other women and girls can talk about it too. I am very happy. Because a lot of people said they were afraid to tell anyone or talk about it. “I stepped forward so they could finally talk about it too.” One of those who came forward after seeing Collon’s Facebook posts was another former Whalen employee, Allen Noble. Noble worked for him from February to the end of March last year. She said, like Collon, that she was in a difficult financial situation when she agreed to come and work for Whalen. “I was looking for a second job and he was hiring,” she told the Herald. “It went well to start anyway. And, for the most part, it wasn’t too bad. The job got a little tough, and unfortunately Brad himself started making suggestive comments and texting me rude after hours. his wife and children nearby. “He would comment to me while he was in the kitchen during work, and he would have his wife and children sit at the tables in the dining room,” she recalls. “And he would give me those comments, and I would watch them and watch them as they sit in the restaurant.” Unfortunately, I never felt confident enough to tell Brad about it. I ended up leaving the restaurant and not coming back when COVID finally hit. Because Whalen never physically touched her, she rationalized the situation, she said, and tried to work the best she could because she had bills to pay. “Much of it was suggestive innuendo,” she said. “Like, ‘You look really good in those pants today. Or man, I really have a great sight when you bend over. That wasn’t necessarily bad words or super vulgar, but definitely stuff that none employee in no situation or capacity should have to deal with this in the workplace. since I did. “Because I haven’t talked about it before, I want to make sure I help to get something done now, ”she said.“ There have been so many other people who have had to deal with this as well, I don’t think it should happen that someone else has to deal with something like that. ”Noble said she also filed other grievances about her experiences working for Whalen with the Alberta Labor Relations Board, which are still the subject of The Herald has contacted Whalen by email for comment on the allegations of behavior. inappropriately on the part of several women. “The allegations here are false,” he said in a response. “I had recently laid off a few employees because the company was not busy enough. And they personally took to Facebook to attack me. There are no outstanding charges in any of these allegations and to my knowledge, with my contacts with LPS, there is no evidence to suggest that I have committed a crime under the Criminal Code of Canada. posted his texts on social media, Whalen said: “I have spoken with a number of officers in this regard as I continue to file death threat complaints and they have informed me that if a posting on Facebook or a newspaper article had to lead to harm to myself or my family. Those responsible for this roast and toast frenzy could be held accountable. The police have read the conversations and when the people posting these messages refuse to produce both sides of the conversation to show what the context of a conversation was, it likely means that one side has something to hide. conduct, whether it is ultimately considered criminal or not? “You are 100% right about one thing, while flirting is not illegal, it is not criminal,” he said. “I shouldn’t have flirted with anyone.”

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