Court approves settlement for class-action harassment lawsuit against City of Leduc – Edmonton | 24CA News
The Court of King’s Bench has accredited the settlement between the City of Leduc and former firefighters who’ve alleged years of sexual assault, misconduct and harassment on the Alberta municipality’s hearth division.
The settlement was licensed Tuesday afternoon.
On June 21, each events introduced the lawsuit had been settled. A proposed settlement settlement was filed June 20 with the Court of King’s Bench for assessment.
On Tuesday, presiding Justice J. Price licensed the class-action settlement. She mentioned she would publish her written causes for this determination later.
Lead lawyer for the ladies, Robert Martz with Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer LLP (BD&P), defined any feminine who’s a present or former worker of the City of Leduc between Jan. 1, 2002 and July 4, 2023, and who additionally skilled discrimination, harassment or assault, can apply to be a part of the category motion.
Potential claimants have 12 months to file a declare, which is designed to be paper-based and confidential. Current and former metropolis staff shall be notified by mail and there may even be notifications and adverts on social media.
The metropolis mentioned in its proposed settlement settlement that “the range of individual compensation for most class (action) members is between $10,000 and $95,000. Class members who experienced exceptional harm may be eligible for amounts up to $285,000.”
The whole quantity of the settlement is unknown right now, Martz mentioned, as it’ll depend upon what number of girls come ahead.
Martz mentioned the proposed settlement sparked fairly a response from different metropolis staff, dozens filed types or wrote letters of assist. He learn segments of these responses in courtroom on Tuesday.
“I completely support this settlement,” he learn to courtroom. “The courage of the complainants is extraordinary.”
“I was an employee,” one other letter learn, “subjected to several incidents where I did not feel safe … I ended my employment.”
There had been zero objections to the settlement, Martz advised courtroom.
Price mentioned the rationale for the lawsuit and settlement is to “provide compensation for sexual misconduct and resolve the claim.”
The feminine firefighters sought compensation for negligence, defamation and cited a number of sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, together with gender discrimination, sexual misconduct and sexual assault.
At the top of the courtroom listening to, Martz thanked the ladies for coming ahead.
“These women did what most people thought couldn’t be done,” he mentioned. “Their determination and bravery is astonishing.”
The plaintiffs had been within the courtroom Tuesday and cried and hugged one another when the justice confirmed the settlement.
“When we set out to bring to light the discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault happening at Leduc, it was so it would stop and those who are responsible for the years of abuse we faced would be held accountable,” Steele, a former firefighter, mentioned on June 21.
The legislation agency that represented the firefighters mentioned “this is the first settlement of a class action involving sexual misconduct and sexual assault in a fire department or municipality in Canada.”
The firefighters’ attorneys mentioned the phrases of the settlement embody:
- Monetary compensation. Each member of the class-action lawsuit is eligible for between $10,000 and $285,000.
- Lengthy claimant eligibility time interval. Any lady who labored on the City of Leduc over the previous 20 years is eligible to take part within the class motion.
- Confidential, non-adversarial and non-confrontational claims course of meant to facilitate claimant participation and supply a protected means for girls to return ahead.
- Non-monetary cures. A public apology from the mayor of Leduc and a requirement that Leduc take no matter steps are essential to make sure that no retaliation happens towards girls who take part within the class motion or who make a declare.
“There’s an opportunity for women to participate in what we’ve called a restorative engagement process, where they can meet privately with leadership at Leduc to explain what’s happened and how things need to change or can change,” Martz defined.
“There’s also requirements for Leduc to consider implementing a whistle-blower policy, to make further changes to its respectful workplace policy that the plaintiffs have flagged.”
Martz mentioned throughout Tuesday’s listening to that the non-monetary components “took the longest to negotiate” and had been decided over a number of months and dozens of draft settlements.
Global News requested the City of Leduc the way it can pay for the financial compensation side of the settlement.
A metropolis spokesperson mentioned: “The costs associated with the lawsuit will not impact residential or business taxes. The city has been working closely with our insurer on this settlement.”
Global News was additionally advised that media could be notified when the mayor’s apology would happen.
“The date of the apology has not yet been determined,” the town spokesperson added on Tuesday. “Now that the settlement is approved, counsel for the two parties will begin to work out the details of implementation.”
In an up to date assertion posted on-line, Leduc City Manager Derek Prohar mentioned: “This is a big second within the historical past of our metropolis – to mirror on our previous, present our assist for these harmed and to decide to a greater future.
“The settlement is a vital step in direction of accountability, therapeutic, and the restoration of belief inside our neighborhood.
“Regretfully, we cannot undo the harm of the sexual misconduct that was experienced, but we are committed to learning from the past to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future,” Prohar wrote.
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