The plaintiff, Adam Papp, brought a claim for wrongful dismissal, defamation, and other damages against his former employer, Stokes Economic Consulting Inc., and its president, Ernest Stokes.
The defendants conceded wrongful dismissal without cause, disputing only the quantum of reasonable notice.
The court found that Ernest Stokes' statements made during a reference check, which led to Papp being denied a job, were substantially true and protected by qualified privilege, as Stokes did not act with malice or recklessness.
Consequently, the defamation claim and associated damages were dismissed.
The court awarded Papp four months' reasonable notice for wrongful dismissal, reduced by payments already received.
