Former Teacher Loses Decision To FNUC

Former Teacher Loses Decision To FNUC

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 14:29

 

 

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has sided with the First Nations University of Canada in a decision concerning one of its former instructors.

 

Yesterday, the court found that a decision handed down earlier this year which forced the school to settle with Dr. Blair Stonechild was incorrect.

 

Stonechild lost his job in 2005 when FSIN Vice-Chief Morley Watson launched an investigation at the school.

 

Many instructors were either suspended or left.

 

Stonechild contended inappropriate comments were made about him at a board meeting shortly before that happened.

 

An arbitrator ruled Stonechild’s academic freedom had been violated by the move.

 

However, the court of appeal decided otherwise.

 

The case could still go to the Supreme Court of Canada, but the lawyer for the university, Larry Seiferling, doesn’t believe that will happen.

 

Seiferling says the crux of the decision was that the appeal court did not believe that one comment constituted the will of the board.