2 former employees sue Sandy Bay Child and Family Services, alleging wrongful dismissal

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Peggy

Two former Sandy Bay Child and Family Services workers are suing the child welfare agency, claiming they were wrongfully dismissed a year after the head of the organization was fired over fraud allegations.

Tanya Aitkens and Elissa Roulette allege Sandy Bay Child and Family Services, which provides services for Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation in south-central Manitoba, breached their employment agreements when it terminated them in March 2022.

In separate lawsuits filed on Sept. 26 in the Court of King’s Bench in Winnipeg, Aitkens, who was the agency’s director of operations, and Roulette, who worked as an executive assistant, say Sandy Bay CFS fired them over claims they had improperly managed funds and failed to report expense approvals, contrary to the agency’s policies and procedures.

The lawsuits, both filed by lawyers with the Winnipeg law firm Pitblado, say “Sandy Bay CFS has not provided any evidence in support of its allegations” and that neither woman has been given the opportunity to respond to the allegations “in a meaningful way.”

The statements of claim say Sandy Bay CFS initiated “humiliating, high-handed and embarrassing treatment” toward the women and portrayed them “in a negative light in the eyes of [their] community” without evidence, causing mental distress and damaging their reputation and career prospects.

Allegations were made against Aitkens and Roulette shortly after Sandy Bay CFS was placed under administration with the Southern First Nations Network of Care in June 2021 and a forensic audit was launched, according to the lawsuits.

Later that year, Sandy Bay CFS fired its executive director, Richard De La Ronde, following allegations of financial irregularities at the child welfare agency. A lawsuit filed against him last month by Sandy Bay CFS alleges he fraudulently enriched himself at the expense of the agency and left it out more than $10 million.

In August 2021, Aitkens and Roulette were put on paid leave effective immediately while the audit was being conducted, the lawsuits say.

The women were told they would receive more details on the premise of their paid leave, but they weren’t given any more information, the lawsuits say.

‘Unfair and unethical’ comment at meeting: lawsuits

The lawsuits say the co-workers performed their job duties “faithfully, competently and diligently on behalf of Sandy Bay CFS” and were valuable and reliable employees.

Aitkens worked at the social services agency for approximately 17 years, according to her statement of claim. She was hired in July 2005 as an administrative assistant and was promoted to operations supervisor about a year later. In 2013, she was promoted to director of operations.

Roulette worked at Sandy Bay CFS for approximately 14 years, starting out as an administrative clerk in 2008 before being promoted to the executive assistant position a year later, her lawsuit says.

Roulette alleges she spoke in 2022 with Delores Roulette, who was then the executive director of Sandy Bay CFS, about returning to her position. Discussions about her proposed return date continued until January 2023, but in February 2023, she saw that Sandy Bay CFS had posted an opening for her old position online without her knowledge.

Both Aitkens and Roulette say their dismissal was without cause. They are seeking compensation equivalent to the wages and benefits they would have received had they been given reasonable notice, the lawsuits say.

The two lawsuits also allege Joy Cramer, the chief executive officer of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization — who was involved with the administration of Sandy Bay CFS — made an “unfair and unethical” comment about Aitkens and Roulette during a September 2024 public community meeting.

According to the suits, Cramer claimed Aitkens and Roulette “had credit cards, bought whatever they wanted and never submitted receipts.”

The Southern Chiefs’ Organization did not respond to CBC’s request for comment before publication.

The current executive director of Sandy Bay CFS, Sharon Desmarais, said Friday she had not yet been made aware of the lawsuits against the agency.

No statements of defence have been filed and none of the allegations have been proven in court.