Fired editor suing online magazine
The former editor-in-chief of the Tyee online magazine is suing the company for wrongful dismissal, alleging she was “unceremoniously” terminated without cause or notice.
Jane Armstrong, a veteran Canadian journalist who was fired May 28 after only seven months on the job, says the conduct of Countercurrent Media Ltd., the named defendant in the case, has been “high-handed, malicious, arbitrary, or highly reprehensible.”
In a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Armstrong says the special circumstances which are important in determining damages include the fact she is 55 years old and was induced to come to Vancouver for a specialized position.
She also alleges there was “bad faith” in terminating her without a positive, or any, letter of recommendation and in her being replaced by a “much younger” employee.
“That left the plaintiff unemployed in an extremely difficult job market for journalists. She is 55 years old, in a specialized and difficult employment market. She has no realistic chance of obtaining comparable employment.”
Armstrong was hired by the magazine in September 2014 and was at the time living in Halifax. She says she was induced to move to Vancouver, and paid only a portion of her moving costs.
She rented an apartment in Vancouver, with a 12-month lease, and began working for the magazine Oct. 20. The lawsuit, which says there was no signed contract, does not detail her salary and benefits.
Armstrong is seeking special, punitive and exemplary damages.
No response has been filed to the lawsuit, which contains allegations that have not been proven in court.
The company could not be immediately reached.
In an announcement posted at the Tyee’s website June 5, the magazine said the Tyee was replacing Armstrong with longtime managing editor Robyn Smith.
The announcement said Armstrong is “moving on to new opportunities,” adding that the Tyee’s staff and board had expressed gratitude for Armstrong’s professionalism, leadership and many contributions during her time as editor-in-chief.
“Jane’s vast reporting experience, professional integrity, and passion for journalistic excellence were much appreciated by everyone at the Tyee,” Tyee co-founder Michelle Hoar said.
Armstrong’s 30 years in journalism included a stint covering city hall for the Toronto Star and tours of duty for the Globe and Mail in B.C., Afghanistan and Moscow, where she was bureau chief. In 2011, she won a Michener-Deacon Fellowship.