TRU president confirms he fired former HR boss implicated in high-profile investigation

Photo: TRU

Thompson Rivers University President Brett Fairbairn

Thompson Rivers University’s president says he fired a former senior administrator implicated in a high-profile harassment investigation, but not because of the allegations that led to the probe.

Larry Phillips was one of two TRU administrators named in a series of anonymous complaints made to the university early in 2021. At the time, Phillips was TRU’s associate vice-president in charge of human resources.

Last week, TRU President Brett Fairbairn was among a panel of high-ranking university officials at a news conference at which a heavily redacted version of a report into the complaints was released publicly.

Over the course of a year-long probe, independent investigators hired by the university found that 10 allegations made against Phillips were substantiated. The 45 other allegations — some against Phillips and some against a second administrator — were deemed unsubstantiated.

The 10 allegations against Phillips that were substantiated included seven allegations of sexual harassment, one of age-related harassment and one derogatory comment toward First Nations people.

Phillips left the university under murky circumstances late in 2021, not long after news of the complaints was made public.

During TRU’s senate meeting on Monday, Fairbairn was asked about Phillips and his departure.

Fairbairn said not-for-cause terminations can happen for a variety of reasons, but said TRU would never confirm publicly why an individual employee was fired.

“It may be because they’re not the right person for the job, it may be because times have changed and the requirements of the job have changed,” he said.

“It could be due to a restructuring due to financial pressures. It could be due to a breakdown of relationships in the workplace between that person and their subordinates or that person and their superior.”

Fairbairn went on to say Phillips’ termination had nothing to do with the investigation or the allegations specifically.

“Certainly, you know that it was not due to anything that was in the board investigation because it was a decision that I made when I did not have access even to what the complaints were — let alone who the complainants were or what the outcomes would be,” he said.

“So clearly I was acting on some other information that was not part of the board’s investigation, and it could be any of those things that I referred to.”

Fairbairn said no further information about Phillips’ termination would be confirmed publicly.

The independent investigation cost TRU more than $1 million.

The other administrator named in the complaints, Matt Milovick, the university’s vice-president of finance and administration, was cleared by investigators. He remains in his role with TRU.