A lawyer is expected to launch a lawsuit against the Government of the Northwest Territories following allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct between North Slave Correctional Complex staff and an inmate, News/North has learned.

SA国际影视传媒淲e expect to sue the GNWT as operators of the institution SA国际影视传媒� on the basis they are vicariously liable for the harms suffered by our client,SA国际影视传媒� said Steven Cooper, a partner at the Alberta-based law firm Cooper Regel.

In an exclusive interview with News/North earlier this month, Kelly Canadian, the complainant and Cooper's client, detailed dozens of alleged sexual encounters, occurring both inside and outside of the jail, involving two male staff members over the last two years.

Given the early stages of the lawsuit, News/North has chosen not to name those accused at this time.

Canadian, a 26-year-old openly gay man, alleges one relationship began in September 2016 while he was serving a nine-month sentence for theft and assault.

It was then, Canadian says, that an employee at the jail began inviting him into his office, where the two would be left alone and unsupervised.

SA国际影视传媒�He would start hinting at things, making jokes,SA国际影视传媒� said Canadian during an interview on Nov. 13.

SA国际影视传媒�Then one day he just asked me to do something for him.SA国际影视传媒�

Canadian said he was asked to perform oral sex on the Corrections employee SA国际影视传媒� the first of many sexual encounters alleged by him. Canadian, who has served multiple stints at the jail for assault, petty thefts and probation violations, says the relationship continued SA国际影视传媒渙ver a few sentences,SA国际影视传媒� with the two engaging in sexual activities 40 times from 2016 to 2018.

Canadian said about half of those encounters occurred inside the correctional complex, while the others happened while not in custody.

Sometimes, Canadian alleges, the employee would send him money via Interac e-transfers.

In February, Canadian said he knew he had to tell someone.

He said he reported the relationship that month, resulting in the staff member being suspended for roughly three weeks. But Canadian said he backed out, telling investigators it was a lie after bowing to SA国际影视传媒減ressures.SA国际影视传媒�

Canadian said the employee returned to work after the investigation was closed.

He reported the employee a second time in late October, resulting in him being suspended from duty again, said Canadian.

When News/North attempted to confirm the employee's suspension, the justice department's senior spokesperson, Sue Glowach, stated in an email, SA国际影视传媒渢he (GNWT) does not comment on human resources issues.SA国际影视传媒�

Under the justice department's professional conduct guidelines, relationships between offenders and staff SA国际影视传媒渟hould demonstrate honesty and integrity,SA国际影视传媒� and employees are told to avoid SA国际影视传媒渃onflicts of interests with inmates, offenders and their families.SA国际影视传媒�

While corrections staff are required authorization before entering into SA国际影视传媒減ersonal or business relationships,SA国际影视传媒� with inmates, ex-inmates and their friends and family, sexual relationships are not specifically listed within the guidelines.

The exchange of gifts or items of value between staff and inmates, however, is explicitly prohibited.

'Angry and confused'

Canadian said the relationship left him feeling SA国际影视传媒渁ngry and confused.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒�(The employee) would SA国际影视传媒� not acknowledge anything he did and just SA国际影视传媒� not feel anything SA国际影视传媒� like he wasn't wrong,SA国际影视传媒� said Canadian.

Canadian added it seemed like the staff member believed he could get away with the alleged inappropriate sexual conduct.

SA国际影视传媒�I think he felt I didn't have a voice,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

This will not be the first time Canadian has filed a grievance against the jail .He said he experienced harassment from jail guards after being sentenced for theft and assault in September 2016. Canadian told CBC that staff repeatedly hurled homophobic slurs at him. While incarcerated, he filed a complaint with the NWT Human Rights Commission.

In November, Canadian received $5,000 after his case was settled out of court, the CBC report stated. By going public, Canadian reportedly breached a confidentiality clause within the settlement, which could result in him having to return the money he was awarded.

Second relationship

After being released from jail in June of 2016, Kelly Canadian said another man employed at the jail SA国际影视传媒� a guard who Canadian knew from his time in custody SA国际影视传媒� reached out to him on a gay dating app. The guard, Canadian alleges, sent him explicit photos and made it clear he knew Canadian from jail.

Following those exchanges, Canadian was jailed again at the North Slave Correctional Complex, where the employee was still working.

Canadian said the employee would ask him to masturbate in his cell SA国际影视传媒� where he was housed by himself SA国际影视传媒� while he watched from behind the cell door. Canadian alleges the employee would write him notes, and that he'd write back to him. He says no one in the jail knew what was happening. Canadian said he and the guard would also meet outside of the jail when he was not in custody.

The relationship culminated with a meeting in the correctional complex parking lot where Canadian said he confronted the guard on March 16, 2018 SA国际影视传媒� a incident that was mentioned in court in August when Canadian was sentenced for an assault and probation violation.

Canadian said he reported this second staff member in October, around the same time he reported the other relationship.

The justice department would not confirm nor deny whether the guard was suspended or whether he is being investigated.

In emails obtained by News/North, Canadian corresponded with a probation officer between Nov. 7 and Nov. 13. An SA国际影视传媒渋nvestigationSA国际影视传媒� involving Canadian is mentioned by the employee, who was arranging further interviews with Canadian.

Just days after sitting down with News/North, Canadian was arrested and remanded back to the correctional complex. He's alleged to have sent one of the employees he had sexual relations with harassing Facebook messages in October.

In a jailhouse interview Wednesday, Canadian called the charges against him SA国际影视传媒減ayback.SA国际影视传媒� He said neither of the two employees he's accused of inappropriate sexual conduct have returned to work.

During his last talks with investigators, Canadian said he provided them with printed copies of 27 Interac deposits sent to him during the first relationship. He alleges the staff member sent him upwards of $2,000 over the two-year span.

His lawyer said he aims to file a statement of claim to the NWT Supreme Court within a month.

SA国际影视传媒�In these types of situations, we tend to focus on the institution (NSCC),SA国际影视传媒� said Cooper.

Cooper said all institutions, whether churches, schools or clubs, SA国际影视传媒渁re uniquely in a position to vet people who are front-line workers, whether they're full time, contract workers or even volunteers. While they have the benefit of operating the program, they also have the risk and the liability when the program fails the people it's intended to serve, and that's exactly what we say happened here,SA国际影视传媒� said Cooper.

The lawyer confirmed the allegations made by Canadian are of a sexual nature but wouldn't go into details, saying the GNWT will be the focus on the statement of claim when it is filed.

Cooper added if an institution like the North Slave Correctional Complex allows power imbalances SA国际影视传媒� such as the one alleged by Canadian  SA国际影视传媒� to happen SA国际影视传媒渋n the exercise of their authority, then they are going to be responsible for the damages that result.SA国际影视传媒�

He added industries are still ineffective in identifying potential predators in order to protect vulnerable people like Canadian.

SA国际影视传媒�Mr. Canadian is the latest example of the failings of government in these situations,SA国际影视传媒� said Cooper.

While Cooper is poised to commence legal action against the GWNT, the primary defendant, he said others could potentially be named in the lawsuit moving forward.

Cooper stressed his client's claims are allegations at this point, which remain unproven.

SA国际影视传媒�We still have to prove everything that my client is saying SA国际影视传媒� and we intend to do so.SA国际影视传媒�