Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 01/02) - The case of an ousted assistant deputy minister remains unresolved, despite assurances from the minister claiming otherwise.

Pauline Gordon was fired from her job with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment in November, after an alleged disagreement with her boss, deputy minister Loretta Foley.

Education Minister Jake Ootes acted quickly after the firing, promising to reinstate her while giving her a paid leave of absence for the time being.

In a press release dated Nov. 13, four days after Gordon's dismissal, the department stated that she would "pursue personal and professional development opportunities" while remaining a GNWT employee.

More than four months later and even after new assurances from the minister in the legislature, however, Gordon has yet to return to active duty.

On March 8, Mackenzie Delta MLA David Krutko rose in the legislative assembly and demanded to know when Gordon would be reinstated.

Ootes responded by saying that the government's "public service people" were working on it, and that he expected her to be back in her position "early to mid next week."

That date would place her reinstatement back to the department between March 11 and 15, yet Gordon said last week she has no idea when she will be back to work.

"I just haven't had a job," said Gordon said when contacted at her Yellowknife residence Thursday morning.

Gordon did not elaborate further, saying only that she has yet to be contacted about returning to her job.

Gordon's dismissal last year turned into a political snafu for Ootes and his department.

Aboriginal leaders were incensed when news of her firing began to spread.

The Dene Nation struck a resolution shortly afterward, calling for an investigation into government hiring practices, and Foley in particular.

Gordon, who is Gwich'in, began her career in her home town of Aklavik as a classroom assistant in 1976. She rose steadily through the ranks, becoming assistant deputy minister in 1997.

Foley, meanwhile, has an extensive background with Yellowknife Catholic Schools, serving as superintendent for eight years before retiring two years ago to take on the deputy minister's job last August.

Some aboriginal leaders, including Aklavik Indian Band Chief Charlie Furlong, questioned the minister's tactfulness in hiring Foley, whose Catholic school background became a lightning rod in the wake of high-profile court cases involving sexual abuse at the Grollier Hall residence in Inuvik during the 1960s and 1970s.

The residence was run by the Catholic Church.

Ootes was unavailable to comment on Gordon's situation by News/North's deadline.

A response came, instead, from government press officer Drew Williams.

"It is a personnel issue, and not something we're going to discuss in the media," said Williams.

"But there is a mutually agreed-upon timeline and process that's in place, and being worked through."