Injured on duty: Windsor police constable files $3.8M HRTO discrimination and harassment complaint

A Windsor police constable has filed a human rights complaint worth $3.8 million. CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske has the details.

A Windsor police constable has filed a $3.8 million discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO). The Windsor Police Service is now facing 10 active discrimination complaints at the HRTO.

Carrie Czachor, 46, “suffered grievous injuries” in August 2021 after trying to arrest a “violent person”.

According to her complaint, Czachor suffered a broken neck and right shoulder, along with serious injuries to her spine and vertebrae.

Between August 2021 and May 2024, Czachor underwent nine surgeries: Seven for her back alone.

Throughout, she was prescribed heavy narcotics to cope with the pain and has countless medical professionals, including psychologists, for post-traumatic stress disorder.

It wasn’t until 2023 that Czachor alleged the WPS started to “pressure” her to return to work.

Czachor alleged the service ignored her doctor notes about her condition, revoked her pay and benefits on two occasions, depleted her sick time bank without notice, and appealed every Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) decision in her favour.

In May 2024, Czachor alleged the service refused to cancel a return-to-work meeting even though the officer was in the ICU recovering from an emergency surgery to fix a spinal fluid leak.

“The Windsor police’s mistreatment of Ms. Czachor was so egregious that the WSIB held a conference regarding her case and stated that they were very concerned about how aggressive the Windsor police had been towards her,” Czachor’s lawyer Chase Frazer wrote in the complaint.

“This is a really important case that lifts the veil on what goes in inside the police service,” Frazer wrote in a statement to CTV News Tuesday.

“It is being raised by, Carrie Czachor, a brave whistleblower who is risking it all to get accountability and justice for not only herself but for others as well.”

Personal relationship influenced reactions

Czachor believes her past relationship with a senior member of the service influenced how she was treated before her injury and after, according to the document.

She said she was in an “abusive relationship” with Gregory Chemello, according to the HRTO document.

When she tried to break up with him in 2019, Czachor alleged Chemello spread rumours about her at headquarters, repeatedly texted or called her, attempted to break into her home and threatened to publish intimate photographs of her.

CTV News has been able to verify that Chemello pleaded guilty to criminal harassment in July 2022.

He was sentenced to 12 months’ probation.

WPS will not say whether Chemello remains a member of the service, but according to Czachor, he has since retired.

“(Czachor’s) sexual harassment and her requests for help caused the (WPS/WPSB) to treat (Czachor) differently, as they believed she was ‘disloyal’ for reporting her abuser,” Frazer wrote to the HRTO.

Carrie Czachor declined an in-person interview with CTV News, citing fears of reprisal or reprimand by the WPS, of which she is still an employee.

Officials with WPS declined to comment on any portion of Czachor’s allegations.

“We are aware of the filing with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. As this matter is currently before the Tribunal, we respectfully cannot provide comment at this time,” spokesperson Gary Francoeur wrote in an email.

10 HRTO complaints

Czachor’s complaint brings the total of active cases against WPS and WPSB to 10, according to media relations with Tribunals Ontario.

CTV News has requested the filings on each matter.

According to the HRTO, WPS and WPSB have been the named respondent in 47 total cases.

Conversely, there are no active complaints against the LaSalle Police Service, Chatham-Kent Police Service, Essex County OPP, and Chatham-Kent OPP.