Former Alberta human rights chair serves province $2.1M wrongful dismissal lawsuit
Alberta's former human rights commission chief has filed a lawsuit against the justice minister for "malicious treatment" and wrongful dismissal.
In September, Collin May's appointment as head of the provincial human rights body was rescinded by a cabinet order following an open letter from the Muslim community concerned with a book review he published that has been called Islamophobic.
May first joined the Alberta Human Rights Commission and Tribunals (AHRC) as a commissioner in 2019. He was appointed chief of the commission in May 2022 by a cabinet order.
On Tuesday, he filed the lawsuit alleging the province breached its contractual obligations and engaged in a "bad faith" dismissal.
May is seeking $1.12 million in damages for breaching his employment contract early, a public declaration recognizing he was wrongfully terminated, and the costs of the suit. Additionally, May believes he is entitled to a further $1 million for moral and punitive damages.
"Minister (Tyler) Shandro's office wrongfully terminated the plaintiff (May) without notice," the statement of claim reads. "The minister's office did not explain to the plaintiff the reason, and to-date, no reason has been given to him."
May's legal counsel, Kathryn Marshall, told CTV News Edmonton in an interview that he had a five-year fixed-term contract as chair of the commission, affording him due process and rights as an employee of the province.
"(People) assume he's just an appointment to serve at the pleasure of government, but he actually had a really comprehensive employment agreement," said Marshall, who specializes in employment law, human rights, and civil litigation at Toronto firm Levitt Sheikh LLP.
Marshall said May cooperated with the province's requests to meet with Muslim stakeholders and hosted consultations. In her view, May's firing was "surprising" and "misleading."
In the claim obtained by CTV News Edmonton, May was informed of his termination by letter on Sept. 15 under a clause addressing resignations.
According to the claim, Shandro's office demanded his resignation three days earlier.
May says he never resigned from his position since he "had done nothing wrong."
Marshall says May first learned of both the province's intention of seeking his resignation and then his ultimate termination through media reporting.
In the suit, May also alleges the AHRC was a "poisoned work environment" during his brief tenure as chief and that he was subject to interference from Shandro's office.
"It was clear from his first day on the job that the plaintiff had been set up to fail," the statement of claim says.
Marshall believes the book review was something the Alberta NDP "peddled" to smear his character.
"He is not Islamaphobic at all," Marshall said. "Ultimately, the book review was being misrepresented by various groups and individuals."
The claim says May suffered "significant mental and physical distress due to the unconscionable, malicious, and vicious actions and inactions taken by the defendant."
According to the statement of claim, May says his dismissal led to the University of Calgary Cummings School of Medicine cancelling an opportunity for him to co-teach a course this fall.
The province has 20 days as the defendant to respond. None of the claims have been tested or proven in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.