Northern Health director fired for pro-Palestinian views: lawsuit

A woman who says she was effectively fired by Northern Health for expressing support for Palestinians has filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit.

Amy Blanding, the former director of inclusion, diversity and equity with Northern Health, held a press conference outside the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Wednesday morning ahead of filing her claim.

"I'm here today to challenge the utter lack of process exhibited by the Northern Health Authority, the threat to my fundamental rights and freedoms, and to raise issue with the wider suppression of the pro-Palestinian support we are seeing across the province and the country," she said.

According to her lawsuit, Blanding performed a song on April 6 at a dress rehearsal for a community concert that was advocating for peace and freedom without mentioning any specific place, people or group.

During the dress rehearsal, which was not open to the public, she wore a shirt with a watermelon image over a map of Israel. The watermelon is a symbol of support for Palestinian human rights, the claim says. Blanding did not wear the shirt for the public performance.

A few days later, she posted the performance on social media, along with text that read in part: "Divisive is complacency as Israel murders 33,300 civilians, over 14,000 of them children. Political is using starvation as a weapon of war."

Later in the month, the claim says, four individuals sent Northern Health a photo of Blanding at the dress rehearsal, along with a letter citing her social media post and demanding the health authority "take action."

The letter alleged the song was "pro-Hamas/Pro-Palestinian and Anti-Israel/Anti-Semitic," according to Blanding's claim, and that her T-shirt indicated she was only concerned "with atrocities committed by Jews." The claim says the letter writers also called Blanding's clothing choice a clear indication of her  "association" with the "Jihadist movement."

Blanding says Northern Health never investigated the allegations contained in the letter. 

Her claim says Northern Health consulted a crisis management communications firm, then unilaterally developed a "pre-drafted statement" and demanded that Blanding publish it on her social media.

When she refused, the claim says Blanding was immediately demoted and placed on leave. She resigned a few weeks later because of "intolerable and hostile treatment" from Northern Health, according to her claim.

Northern Health declined CBC's request for an interview.

"Northern Health cannot comment as this is a human resources matter before the courts," Eryn Collins, regional director of public affairs and media relations, said in an email.

At her press conference, Blanding said she "adamantly opposes the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza."

Canada doesn't recognize Israel's actions as genocide, but has expressed grave concerns over the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis in the region, which have so far killed more than 42,000 Palestinians according to Gaza's health ministry. 

"I find it distressing that my support for basic human rights cost me my job," Blanding said Wednesday, accompanied by a handful of supporters, including B.C. Civil Liberties president Hasan Alam. 

"Ms. Blanding's dismissal reflects a broader and alarming trend of employers disciplining and silencing individuals for engaging in political speech," Alam said. "We are witnessing an increasing number of cases where individuals like Ms. Blanding face repercussions simply for expressing their conscience."

Blanding is seeking damages for constructive dismissal and defamation, aggravated damages for breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, as well as punitive and Charter damages.

In addition to her claim against Northern Health, Blanding has also filed a lawsuit against the individuals who are alleged to have written the letter. None of those people have filed a response to her claim.