The hashtag “MeToo” went viral in October of 2017.
In the two years since then, the movement has had a significant
impact on society. It’s had a weighty effect on professional
regulators as well. What changes have we seen so far and what
changes are we predicting for the future?
Increased number of complaints of sexual
misconduct. The MeToo movement has encouraged victims to
speak up and come forward. This is true when it comes to victims of
sexual assault in the criminal law context, but it’s also
true in terms of victims of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct
more generally. As such, one impact of the movement is that
professional regulators are now receiving more and more complaints
about sexual misconduct. This is especially the case for regulators
under the Health Professions Act as a result of the highly
publicized changes made to the legislation earlier this year under
Bill 21, An Act to Protect Patients.
