Law Times

Law Times • November 26, 2018 Page 5 www.lawtimesnews.com Statement of claim served Former dean suing Lakehead for $2.6 million BY AIDAN MACNAB For Law Times A fter resigning the po- sition in April and ac- cusing the university administration of sys- temic discrimination, former dean of law at Lakehead Univer- sity Angelique EagleWoman is suing the school for constructive dismissal and employment dis- crimination. The statement of claim, which was served on Nov. 20, says the university undermined her au- thority and effectiveness, creat- ing a "poisoned" work environ- ment, forcing her to resign. Eagle- Woman, who had been at the school from January 2016 until April 2018, says she was not giv- en sufficient resources to carry out the law school's mandate and micromanaged in a "demeaning and paternalistic" manner by the university administration. Eaglewoman is suing for $2.67 million, including for damages equivalent to her sal- ary and benefits as dean and tenured professor for the period remaining on her contract and until age 71, for future salary if her contract had been renewed, moral and aggravated damages and punitive damages. "Lakehead University senior administration imposed con- ditions of work on dean Eagle- Woman that made it impossible for her to continue in her posi- tion," says Paul Champ of Champ & Associates in Ottawa, who is representing EagleWoman. "They regularly micro- managed her in a manner that is completely inconsistent with the dean's position. They regularly undermined her with respect to her faculty and staff. And fur- ther, there was a significant un- der-resourcing and understaff- ing at the faculty and the school of law that made it almost impos- sible for EagleWoman to manage the law school." EagleWoman, 48, is a scholar of Indigenous law and member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe. Before arriving at Lake- head, she taught at the University of Idaho College of Law. She was appointed dean of law at Lake- head in December 2015 for a pe- riod of five years and two months. She is now a visiting professor of law at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minn. A second element of the claim is that EagleWoman's experience took place because she is Indige- nous. The statement of claim says the hostility, lack of support, mi- cro-management and question- ing of her judgment, abilities and leadership style was attributable to her being a woman and Indig- enous. Part of the claim also in- volves the fact that EagleWoman was originally given the salary of $210,000 a year, $9,000 less than her predecessor, who was white and male, before she complained and was given a raise. "There's no way that any per- son who was white in that posi- tion as dean would have been handled or treated in the way that dean EagleWoman was," says Champ. The micro-managing claimed by the plaintiff includes requir- ing EagleWoman to hand over her correspondences with faculty and staff for review and interven- ing regularly in her management of staff and faculty. Also repre- senting EagleWoman is David Nahwegahbow of Nahwegahbow Corbiere Genoodmagejig Barris- ters & Solicitors. Nahwegahbow says the university touted itself as having an Indigenous focus and publicized its hiring of the first Indigenous law dean in Canada. "The first Indigenous law dean ever appointed in the country. The university certainly used that in their marketing efforts and were able to trumpet it as a huge accomplishment for their uni- versity and effectively wound up not fulfilling on the commitment that was explicit in that objective, which was to create a law school that would cater to northern is- sues, small-law practices and In- digenous law and Indigenous rec- onciliation," says Nahwegahbow. A spokesman for Lakehead University said in an email state- ment that the school had not "re- ceived a statement of claim from Angelique EagleWoman's lawyer." "Lakehead University does not comment on any litigation or personnel matters," said the statement. EagleWoman was herself accused of discrimination by two Lakehead staff members, Amanda Trevisanutto and An- net Maurer. According to the statement of claim, a pattern of disrespect from Trevisanutto, who was of- fice administrator at Lakehead's community legal clinic, led Eagle- Woman not to renew Trevisanu- tto's contract in June 2016. Trev- isanutto later filed an application with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario alleging EagleWoman discriminated against her as a young white woman, pointing to the fact EagleWoman had sought to recruit and retain Indigenous faculty, staff and students. Maurer left the school in De- cember 2016 and commenced civil action against the univer- sity the following February, also saying she was discriminated against because she was a white woman. She did not name Eagle- Woman in the claim, but Eagle- Woman's "published work and support for an Indigenous focus at the law school was used to in- fer discrimination." Lakehead settled both Trevisa- nutto's and Maurer's claims and EagleWoman says she was not consulted in that process. LT NEWS SLIPPERY WALKWAY CASE? Consider referring your client to us. Tim Boland Darcy Romaine Tel: 905-841-5717 www.bolandhowe.com THE PROOF IS IN THE PRECEDENTS. Jury Verdict (Nov 2016) Elder v. HCSW Property Management et al. Jury Verdict (May 2016) Derry v. The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Judge Alone (Feb 2018) Johnson v. Lewin BolandHowe_LT_Nov26_18.indd 1 2018-11-21 2:46 PM Paul Champ says Lakehead University senior administration 'imposed condi- tions of work on former dean Angelique EagleWoman that made it impossible for her to continue in her position.'

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