HALIFAX — The CEO of the Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax bullied staff and created an environment of fear that left many employees emotionally damaged, the federal Public Sector Integrity Commissioner alleges in a new report.
The report from commissioner Harriet Solloway cites evidence suggesting Marie Chapman engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behaviour for more than a decade, resulting in serious breaches of the public sector code of conduct and the museum’s code of conduct.
“The CEO created an environment of fear that made employees reluctant to raise concerns and left many worried they would be reprimanded, or even lose their jobs, if they decided to speak up.” the report says.
The results of Solloway’s two-year investigation, tabled Wednesday in Parliament, allege Chapman’s misconduct included using offensive and inappropriate language, intimidating employees, instilling fear, yelling and generally mistreating staff.
“While each incident on its own might not rise to the level of a serious breach of a code of conduct, the repeated nature of Ms. Chapman’s actions impacting multiple employees elevates their severity,” Solloway’s report says.
“Our investigation revealed that Ms. Chapman referred to her senior leadership team, or SLT, (by) using the term ‘sluts.’ Ms. Chapman used this term in public and in the presence of museum employees.”
Solloway concluded that even if Chapman was trying to be funny, such language in the workplace is inconsistent with the standards expected of leaders in the public sector.
In Ottawa, Culture Minister Marc Miller was asked if he would fire Chapman, whose term was extended for 90 days in October.
“Ministers are not in the position of firing museum heads,” Miller said. “What I expect is for the (museum’s) board to review this report seriously and take the appropriate action.”
Asked about the allegations against Chapman, Miller said: “It’s entirely unacceptable. If any of these allegations are true, I would expect the board to do its job.”
The report also accuses Chapman of:
— Ranking women working at the museum by age.
— Saying there were “no good-looking men” at the museum.
— Referring to some employees by using nicknames related to their physical appearance or behaviour.
— Saying that a female athlete looked too masculine to be featured in a museum product.
Solloway said 20 witnesses were interviewed, including Chapman. The museum, a Crown agency that operates at arm’s length from the federal government, has 56 permanent employees.
Nine employees described feeling fearful of Chapman’s behaviour. One employee said they suffered from panic attacks when they went to work, saying their anxiety was “through the roof.”
The commissioner recommended an assessment of employees’ wellness by an external expert to determine what type of support they may need.
In response to the report, Chapman submitted a statement to the commissioner denying almost all of the allegations against her, arguing that a lack of detail in the report creates a false impression about the frequency and scale of certain events. Chapman also said in her response that several of the people interviewed by the commissioner were not part of the museum’s workforce.
“Any uninformed reader would not be aware of the … infrequent nature of many of the events described in the (report),” Chapman said in the statement. “Given the comprehensive evidence provided in my May 29 response … I respectfully urge you to reconsider your findings.”
The CEO, however, confirmed that she did refer to her senior leadership team as “sluts.” But she argued that as a member of that team, the comment was made “in solidarity” and was not intended to disrespect the team.
Chapman also insisted she never created a climate of fear or threatened to fire anyone, and she argued that some decisions and comments were wrongly attributed to her or taken out of context. As well, she asserted that some of her statements were made before the museum became a federal institution.
She also dismissed allegations that she targeted one employee.
“What may appear as targeting reflects the difficult management challenges that were not only felt by me, but all other members of the SLT during this period,” the statement says.
She denied making disparaging remarks about a colleague’s hairstyle.
The CEO concludes her remarks by insisting that during almost 20 years working at the museum, the board never questioned her conduct, and she says she never received any warnings, negative evaluations or disciplinary actions.
“While I disagree with the findings outlined in the report, I acknowledge and embrace my responsibility as a leader of the museum,” her statement says. “I welcome opportunities for learning and improvement and I look forward to engaging an external expert to guide us in the process.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2025.
Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press
