FORMER CAO FILES LAWSUIT
Sylvain De Lafontaine suing Village of Murray of Harbour alleging attacks on his credibility after he investigated financial irregularities
Sylvain De Lafontaine suing Village of Murray Harbour alleging attacks on his credibility after he investigated financial irregularities
After several tumultuous months that included three councillors resigning, the Village of Murray Harbour is facing a lawsuit with its former CAO alleging his job was terminated in bad faith.
Sylvain De Lafontaine, the village’s former CAO, filed a statement of claim in P.E.I. Supreme Court on May 8 seeking more than $83,000 in damages, including the equivalent of two years of salary.
De Lafontaine started working as Murray Harbour’s CAO Dec. 1, 2014.
In his statement of claim, De Lafontaine alleges he quit because of continued interference by some village councillors, attacks on his credibility and reputation and an “increasingly untenable” working environment.
They were issues De Lafontaine alleged started when the village’s accounting firm, Grant Thornton, advised him that about $67,000 of gas tax revenues were used to pay for the municipal offices’ construction costs.
De Lafontaine alleges that during his investigation he found other financial and bookkeeping irregularities from around January 2012 through to December 2013.
The issue came to a head during a March meeting at the Murray
Harbour Community centre, at which time the RCMP was called and given council’s office keys and a laptop.
Those items were later returned. Three councillors have also resigned after several heated meetings.
De Lafontaine alleges the council members who were opposed to him staying on as CAO escalated a “campaign” to discredit him, using email and social media to attack his honesty, integrity, competency and credibility.
The statement of claim said prior to De Lafontaine investigating financial irregularities he received positive performance reviews, and council never reprimanded or disciplined him.
De Lafontaine alleges council’s conduct that led to him quitting constituted constructive dismissal.
Constructive dismissal involves situations in which an employer makes a significant change to a person’s employment without the employee’s consent.
Along with damages, De Lafontaine is seeking a record of employment and a positive letter of recommendation.
He is seeking an order that the village, its council and its representatives cease any further defamatory comments of any sort publicly or privately.
De Lafontaine is also asking for an order that the village publish in The Guardian and the Eastern Graphic newspapers an apology and a full retraction of all allegations against him.
The village has filed a notice of intent to defend.