2 former City of Regina employees file suit against city over termination, severance dispute
Both employees were terminated April 30
Two former City of Regina employees have filed a civil lawsuit against the city due to a dispute over severance.
Ly Pham, who was the chief of staff under former city manager Niki Anderson, and Audra Young, who was the Indigenous relations director, both filed a civil suit July 4 under the representation of Saskatoon's George Green with McKercher LLP.
Young was hired in February 2022 on a five-year, fixed-term contract. Pham was hired in December 2021 and was later promoted to chief of staff — extending her employment until February 2028 on a fixed-term contract.
According to the July 4 court documents obtained from Regina's Court of King's Bench, both plaintiffs, Young and Pham, were terminated by the city April 30 without being provided the "employment remuneration and other employment benefits" they would have received during their contracts.
Young made $182,899 last year and Pham made $192,197, as stated in the city's public 2024 accounts.
That's up from Young's earnings of $150,886 in 2023 and Pham's $156,710 after her promotion.
"As a result of the defendant's breach of the plaintiff's fixed-term employment contract, the plaintiff has lost employment remuneration and employment benefits [they] would have received during the fixed term of [their] employment," the documents stated.
Young and Pham have both filed claims against the city including:
- Damages for terminating the plaintiff(s) in breach of [their] fixed-term employment contract in an amount to be proven at trial.
- Costs of this action on a solicitor/client basis.
- Interest pursuant to the provisions of The Pre–Judgement Interest Act (calculated from the start of the reason for the claim until the court decides on the money to be received.)
Young also filed to receive additional relief as "counsel may advise and this Honourable Court may allow."
The city had 20 days to serve a statement of defence, the documents said.
"The City of Regina is aware that two lawsuits have been filed," a spokesperson for the city said in an email to CBC Thursday. "The City has no further comment as the matter is before the court."
Green also declined to comment on the matter.
'A new direction': Regina mayor
The city also fired its manager Niki Anderson at a council meeting last week.
Council had decided to go in a "new direction" in voting 10 -1 to approve the firing of Anderson without cause, said Mayor Chad Bachynski at a city council meeting.
The report did not provide an explanation for city staff's recommendation to terminate Anderson's contract and the recommendation was not made public.
Anderson had been on a leave since April 30, the same day Young and Pham were both terminated.
At the time, Bachynski declined to answer when asked if Anderson's leave had anything to do with her termination.
She is the second person to be terminated from the role in three years.
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With files from Alexander Quon