Content advisory: This article contains descriptions of sexual misconduct that some readers may find disturbing.
Appeal dismissed, misconduct finding stands
A British Columbia RCMP sergeant who was ordered to resign or be dismissed from the force in 2018 has lost his latest legal challenge over a coercive sexual relationship with a woman working in the Surrey detachment’s jail. A three-judge panel of the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Sgt. William Turner’s case last week, leaving intact an earlier disciplinary finding of discreditable conduct.
The appellate decision found no error in a lower court’s ruling that had refused to quash the internal RCMP measures against Turner. His Alberta-based lawyer did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Background of the case
Turner was the supervisor of the Surrey RCMP cellblock in 2014 when he began a sexual relationship with a woman employed by the City of Surrey at the detachment. The pair engaged in sexual activity while on duty, including an incident in a detachment stairwell in October 2014 that the woman later described as non-consensual. Turner was arrested in connection with the allegation but was never charged.
An RCMP conduct board in 2018 found Turner had committed discreditable conduct and imposed discipline that required him to resign or be terminated. Turner appealed internally to the force’s conduct appeal adjudicator and then sought judicial review at the Federal Court. After that bid failed, he appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal, which has now upheld the outcome.
What the conduct record and testimony revealed
The conduct adjudicator’s decision, as summarized in court materials, found that Turner’s disciplinary record “demonstrated history of poor decision-making” concerning women in his workplace and that he leveraged his authority to obtain sexual favours from a subordinate. The woman testified the texting between them turned sexual, with Turner asking for images that she “later begged him to delete.”
“She complied with the (Turner’s) demands for oral sex because it made the remainder of her shift go easier because he did not berate her,” the conduct board decision said. She described Turner as “very aggressive, animalistic, forceful, angry and intense,” and said she “felt compelled to perform fellatio … due to the imbalance of power in the relationship.”
Focus of Turner’s failed appeals
In his court challenges seeking reinstatement, Turner argued that the disciplinary process suffered from unreasonable delay, that decision-makers improperly weighed supposed aggravating factors, and that there were errors concerning evidence and credibility. The appeal court determined the lower court had made no reviewable error and left the misconduct finding and discipline untouched.
- Claimed undue delay in the conduct process.
- Disputed the finding and weight of aggravating factors.
- Challenged evidentiary rulings and credibility assessments.
Timeline of key events
| Year/Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2014 (Oct.) | Alleged non-consensual encounter in Surrey detachment stairwell; Turner later arrested, not charged. |
| 2018 | RCMP conduct proceeding finds discreditable conduct; Turner ordered to resign or be dismissed. |
| Post-2018 | Internal appeal to conduct appeal adjudicator dismissed. |
| Subsequent | Federal Court judicial review dismissed. |
| Last week | Federal Court of Appeal dismisses Turner’s appeal; misconduct finding stands. |
Accountability and workplace power dynamics
The case turns on the use of supervisory power within a police workplace. Court and conduct board records emphasize the imbalance of authority as central to the finding that the relationship was coercive and that Turner’s conduct undermined public confidence. While the arrest in 2014 did not result in criminal charges, the RCMP’s disciplinary regime applies a distinct, administrative standard focused on maintaining ethical workplace conduct and public trust.
The Federal Court of Appeal’s decision exhausts Turner’s ordinary avenues to overturn the disciplinary finding, leaving the 2018 order to resign or be terminated in place.
