A Saskatchewan jury has awarded a local man $5 million after finding that the province’s chief forensic pathologist gave the man an unfair assessment while he was applying for a job at the coroner’s office.
The jury found that Dr. Shaun Ladham and the coroner’s office were either unfair or acted in bad faith while evaluating Dr. Jeffrey Racette.
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According to a statement of claim filed in 2013, the dispute began back in October 2011, when Racette applied for a job at the coroner’s office as a forensic pathologist.
Racette was applying for a special licence, the documents noted, and was required to undergo an assessment supervised by Ladham.
“Prior to assessment period, Dr. Racette and Dr. Ladham enjoyed a cordial professional relationship,” court documents said. The statement also pointed out that in 2007, Ladham had previously written Racette a positive recommendation letter for a fellowship.
“Notwithstanding their good relationship in the past, during the assessment period, Dr. Ladham’s conduct destroyed their good relationship,” they said.
Bob Hrycan, Racette’s lawyer, said that over a five-week jury trial, he presented evidence that Ladham had made racially-charged comments – apparently in reference to indigenous people in the morgue.
“Dr. Racette, being Métis, found these statements personally objectionable and emotionally upsetting. Dr. Ladham’s comment created significant tension between Dr. Racette and Dr. Ladham,” the statement read.
Ladham “destroyed the work product of Dr. Racette bearing upon Dr. Racette’s competence to practice,” the statement added.
The coroner’s office and province issued a statement of defense denying the allegations.
The defense maintained that Racette lacked the capability to perform duties as a forensic pathologist.
Hrycan said that the jury did not have to decide if Racette was competent, but focused on whether or not he received a fair assessment.
“There is clear evidence that during the course of the assessment, Ladham accessed Dr. Racette’s files and altered them,” the lawyer said.
CBC reported that the evidence was obtained through an audit that the government performed on the computer operated in the lab. It was also suggested that Ladham destroyed Racette’s reports from the assessment.
“Racism in our province is something that is simply unacceptable,” commented Justice Minister Don Morgan on Tuesday following the trial. “I can’t say what exactly took place here because I don’t know, but racism has no place in our province.”
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