Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Fort Resolution (July 30/01) - A former administrator for the Fort Resolution health board is suing for wrongful dismissal.

Elizabeth Stirrett, 37, accuses the Deninue Community Health and Social Services Board of firing her May 14, "without notice and without reason" and says "publicity generated by the board has made it impossible ... to find another job."

The claim acknowledges that a few days later Stirrett received a letter from the board purporting "to give reasons for dismissal, but enclosed two week's severance pay in lieu of notice. The reasons were factually inaccurate."

Stirrett said Thursday she came forward after media reports in which the current board chair Cara Carriere appeared to blame some of the board's problems on her and the former board chair, Bill Norn.

"Enough is enough," Stirrett said. "You have to be accountable at the end for what you're doing and what you're saying."

She filed a statement of claim with the NWT Supreme Court on July 11. She is seeking an unspecified award amount for wrongful dismissal -- and asking as well for aggravated and punitive damages.

In her statement of claim on file with the court, Stirrett says several directors of the board harassed and verbally threatened her, attempted to discredit her in the community and falsely accused her of theft.

The document also states that the board's financial affairs were already in disarray when Stirrett joined the board Feb. 14, 2000, and that over the year, she worked to get the books in order and gave the board "far more than a normal working year of faithful and productive service."

The Deninue Community Health and Social Services Board had not filed a statement of defence as of July 26.

Stirrett is represented by Yellowknife lawyer Austin Marshall.

Stirrett's salary was $50,000 per year and she claims she was owed six weeks of accumulated vacation at the time she was fired.

In an interview two weeks ago, Carriere said the board hired Stirrett on a temporary basis to fill in until a chief executive officer could be found. Contacted Thursday, Carriere said the board has no comment on the case.

Since its creation four years ago, the Deninue health board has been wracked with high turnover and internal divisions. The conflicts came to a head in May when Norn called on the territorial government to dismantle the board.