A prominent Langley lawyer and former Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce president has been accused of sexual harassment, and faces a Law Society of B.C. discipline hearing.
A law society complaint citation involving Scott Johnston was first issued in November last year, and amended on March 28 this year.
It includes alleged behaviour from the spring of 2019 to October 2020, including sexual harassment by allegedly making comments or gestures of a sexual nature, making unwelcome sexual advances, and touching a female employee without her consent.
None of the allegations have been proven before a discipline hearing panel, the law society’s citation page notes.
The Langley Advance Times reached out to CBM Lawyers, the firm where Johnston works. Partner Douglas Simpson provided the following statement:
“CBM Lawyers LLP is committed to a respectful workplace, free of bullying and harassment. We are aware of a complaint from a former employee alleging harassment. That complaint was the subject of a WorkSafeBC investigation, which determined that the law firm has complied with WorkSafeBC Bullying and Harassment Policies. In addition, an independent review by a distinguished Queen’s counsel lawyer and former Crown attorney found no evidence of a breach of firm policy, provincial statute, or common law.”
Johnston was president of the local chamber of commerce from 2015 to 2017. In 2019, he was nominated as one of the 25 most influential lawyers in Canada by Canadian Lawyer Magazine.
No hearing has yet been scheduled on the matter, according to the law society’s listing of citations.
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