Matt Milovick was one of two top employees at the university at the centre of an investigation where at least eight current and former employees alleged sexual harassment, racism and "personal harassment" against them, according to a redacted report.

Image Credit: Thompson Rivers University

A Thompson Rivers University executive says he was "fully exonerated" after an investigation into workplace harassment and misconduct.

Matt Milovick was one of two top employees at the university at the centre of an investigation where at least eight current and former employees alleged sexual harassment, racism and "personal harassment" against them, according to a redacted report.

Milovick, the vice president of administration and finance, only had a brief emailed statement after a redacted version of the investigation report was release Tuesday, Jan. 17. He said a university policy for workplace harassment requires confidentiality, with "limited exceptions."

"Having been fully exonerated in the investigation, I have been advised by my lawyer that the policy precludes comment by me concerning the substance at this time," Milovick said in the statement.

The investigation spanned more than a year and cost the university $1.02 million. Of the 55 allegations from the eight current and former employees who were interviewed, investigators substantiated just 10.

Milovick faced 22 of those claims, but none were substantiated.

Larry Phillips, the university's former vice president of people and culture, bears the ten legitimate claims investigators were able to prove. The substance of those allegations is redacted from the over 500-page report, but they include seven claims of sexual harassment, one of ageism, a derogatory comment to Indigenous people and "personal harassment."

Phillips no longer works at the university, but the reason for his departure was never made clear. He did not respond to a request for comment from iNFOnews.ca.

University brass, including president Brett Fairbairn, refrained from even mentioning Phillips' and Milovick's names during a Tuesday press conference.

Almost nothing about any actions the university plans to take in the wake of the investigation was revealed, but the report goes at length to say the investigation was not intended to address the workplace culture at TRU. It was simply meant to investigate allegations of specific misconduct.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers, however, is concerned about a potentially toxic workplace culture, noting it's difficult to draw any conclusions because most of the report is kept from the public.

"Generally, however, the investigation reveals a very troubled workplace, particularly for women and Indigenous staff," executive director David Robinson said in an emailed response. "The key now will be to hold the one individual who was deemed to have engaged in inappropriate conduct to account, and for the University to immediately take steps toward building a culture free of harassment and discrimination."

The full report can be found on the university website here. More than 400 pages of the report are completely redacted.

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