Taylor Carson

The plaintiff, a volunteer fire captain and administrative assistant, was terminated without cause by the municipality's CAO based on unfounded, sexist rumours and gossip.

The court found the termination was conducted in bad faith and was tainted by patent gender-based discrimination.

The CAO also made defamatory statements about the plaintiff to the municipal council, which lost the protection of qualified privilege due to malice.

The court awarded the plaintiff six months' reasonable notice, $75,000 in moral damages, $35,000 for Human Rights Code violations, $20,000 for defamation, and $60,000 in punitive damages.

During a wrongful dismissal trial, the plaintiff sought disclosure of a recording of a closed municipal council meeting where her termination was discussed.

The defendants claimed solicitor-client, settlement, litigation, and confidential communications privilege.

Applying the Wigmore criteria, the court ordered partial disclosure.

The portion of the recording where the CAO justified the termination decision was ordered disclosed, as the benefit to the litigation outweighed the injury to the municipal relationship.

However, portions involving legal advice, anticipated negotiations, and council questions remained privileged.