The recent dismissal of staff by the Bank of Montreal (BMO) has not gone unnoticed. Several employees, including two who resigned, reportedly engaged in homophobic behavior towards a colleague, both in person and on digital communication platforms. These incidents have stirred conversations and concerns, with the Globe revealing that the concerning actions were carried out by five junior staff in the metals and mining unit, along with a director who supervised them.

BMO’s Chief Executive Officer, Darryl White, has made it clear that such behavior is intolerable within the organization. He emphasized that all employees, without exception, are expected to adhere to the bank’s standards of respect, inclusivity, and professionalism.

At present, neither Darryl White nor his colleagues have responded to emails from The Northern Miner seeking input on the issue.

It is noteworthy that BMO previously provided advice to Teck Resources (TSX: TECK.A/TECK.B; NYSE: TECK) in the latter’s $8.9 billion divestment of its coal unit to Glencore (LSE: GLEN). Additionally, the bank served as the lead bookrunner in a $184 million capital raising for Ivanhoe Electric (TSX: IE; NYSE AM: IE), a company founded by billionaire Robert Friedland.