Below you will find an audio recording of a phone call that took place on June 13, 2019, with Chelsey Rhodes and Alex Fox speaking to the following representatives from the Board of Directors of Engineers Without Borders (EWB): Rebecca Kresta (Board chair) and Manissa Patel (Board member).
Content Warning: the call contains strong language, discussion of sexual assault/ harassment and institutional retaliation, and discussion of workplace trauma and suicide.
Stay tuned for the following documentation, to follow in the next few days. These will be included in an eventual public archive along with documentation of other individuals and organizations that are implicated in these issues:
- An audio clip of former Board Chair Cameron Charlebois (since resigned) promising to release Derek Evans’ report to members and stakeholders
- An audio clip of Director Prateek Awasthi also promising to release the report
- An email from VP Shivani Patel outlining the scope of work of Derek Evans’ report and committing to full transparency
- An audio clip of CEO Boris Martin claiming that no one had ever promised the report be released (this is a textbook example of gaslighting)
- An audio clip of VP Shivani Patel reading out a defamatory statement at last year’s AGM
- The (limited) portion of Derek Evans’ review recommendations that the EWB Board decided to release (only after intense pressure from Chelsey/ Alex in the June 13th phone call and demands from student boycotters, and not from any ethical committment on their part), that shows serious management and policy failures and a recommendation to suspend the Junior Fellowship program (which EWB concealed from Junior Fellows).
- False, defamatory, and victim-blaming public and private statements sent out about Chelsey by the EWB Board following the June phone call, presided over by Rebecca Kresta.
- Threatening emails from Rebecca Kresta telling whistleblowers that EWB would be investigating them for “harassment.”
- Emails from Rebecca Kresta falsely stating she was setting up a mediation.
- Messages involving Boris Martin (current CEO) and George Roter (former CEO) discussing whether to have Chelsey sued or criminally charged based on their belief that she fabricated the allegations for personal gain.
- More information from the July 2019 meeting between Chelsey/ Alex and their lawyer, and the EWB Board and their lawyer, and why EWB cut short the meetings at noon on the first day (2 full days of meetings were scheduled, and both Chelsey and Alex flew to Toronto for the meetings).
To be very clear, any additional retaliation that follows from this post, by EWB leadership past or present (e.g. cease and desist letters, SLAPP threats, continued lies and slander, continued intimidation and harassment towards staff and volunteers), will also be posted publicly on this blog.
For any staff/ volunteers who are experiencing retaliation or harassment internally, please notify us anonymously through our contact form if you would like us to post it. Make sure to document and date what is happening, and save it offline. We can connect you with legal support if you desire. Documents can be sent to our email, totalsystemfailureorg@gmail.com.
For those who are worried about ensuring their anonymity, watch our contact page for updates on secure methods of contacting us or sending information.