91原创

Two former senior executives of the Kwantlen First Nation鈥檚 (KFN) business group are suing the organization and the band itself, claiming wrongful dismissal.

Brenda Knights, the former CEO of the seyem鈥� Qwantlen Business Management, and Laura Wadsworth, who was interim CEO after Knights went on medical leave, both launched lawsuits on Jan. 30, and both are represented by Gwendoline Allison at Barton Thaney Law.

Neither case has gone before a judge, and none of the statements in the claims or the KFN鈥檚 counterclaim have been proven in court.

Knights, a KFN band member who was a former executive with Coast Mountain Bus Company and was a member of the 91原创 Tourism board, worked for seyem from 2010 to 2022, when she was dismissed, according to her statement of claim launching the lawsuit.

When she became CEO however, Knights, who should have reported to the organization鈥檚 chair, found that 鈥渢he leadership of the defendant KFN were not ready to relinquish any control over strategic, operational and financial decision making.鈥�

She alleges that in 2019, seyem and KFN leadership launched a campaign to get her to quit her post.

Knights alleges that the controversial attempt to add lands owned by the Eric Woodward Foundation to reserve lands, in late 2019, led to her receiving criticism and hostility from Kwantlen elders opposed to the deal. Knights alleges that the KFN leadership allowed the elders to believe that Knights was responsible for a press release that revealed the proposed deal.

The deal didn鈥檛 go through after Kwantlen community opposition, but Knights claims she was left to bear the brunt of community disapproval. She was excluded from community events and isolated from her community.

She was also excluded from negotiations on other seyem-related deals, and says she was targeted by an audit after allegations from the community of mismanagement of funds surfaced in 2021. Knights was removed as director of the various companies under the seyem umbrella.

As a result of the stress, she went on medical leave in the spring of 2021.

The day after she went on leave, seyem sent notice saying Knights was on 鈥減aid administrative suspension鈥� but did not give her specifics of any allegations against her. She said the complaints that sparked the investigation were 鈥渇rivolous, vexatious, and without merit鈥� in the lawsuit documents.

Knights lawsuit also mentions coverage in the 91原创 Advance Times and Aldergrove Star of the RCMP investigation into allegations of fraud at seyem 鈥� the investigation would ultimately find no criminal wrongdoing.

鈥淎t all material times, the defendants [seyem and KFN] knew that they were not investigating a $4 million fraud, nor were they investigating the plaintiff鈥檚 involvement in a $4 million fraud,鈥� said the statement of claim. 鈥淭he defendants鈥� silence in the face of the newspaper articles, however, reinforced the inference that the plaintiff was under investigation in connection with a $4 million fraud.鈥�

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On March 31, 2022, seyem stopped paying Knights鈥� salary and benefits.

Wadsworth had a similar claim, having worked for seyem from 2010 to November, 2022, when she was dismissed. She became VP of finance of seyem in late 2019, and was appointed interim CEO after Knights went on medical leave.

鈥淒espite being appointed as interim CEO, the plaintiff [Wadsworth] found that, in the absence of a proper board of directors, the plaintiff had no direct or transparent supervision,鈥� Wadsworth鈥檚 statement of claim said. 鈥淚nstead, the plaintiff reported to KFN leadership.鈥�

A lack of direction led to stress and her own medical leave, starting in November 2021. She tried to return to work on a graduated basis in October 2023, but found on returning that someone else had been appointed into her role, was given no duties other than minor administrative tasks, and was excluded from meetings. She left a month later, believing her job was over.

Knights and Wadsworth are both suing for wrongful dismissal as well as other damages.

KFN and Seyem, in their responses to Knights and Wadsworth鈥檚 claims, paint a different picture of certain key events.

Court documents filed by their lawyers say that Knights and Eric Woodward, currently mayor of 91原创 Township, drafted the press release about the Woodward Foundation lands potentially becoming part of the Kwantlen reserve, and released it without getting approval from the chief and band council.

They deny encouraging hostility towards Knights by elders or the community, and deny there was any campaign to remove, isolate, or humiliate her.

KFN and seyem claim that the investigation into seyem鈥檚 finances found that Knights had 鈥渆ngaged in misconduct鈥� and that there were grounds to fire her for cause.

In addition, KFN has launched a counter-suit against Knights, alleging that the investigation revealed that she had hired her partner鈥檚 brother as a consultant on a project to determine whether or not KFN should build a gas station on reserve land. They claim he was not qualified to work on the project.

Their response also asks the court to remove KFN as a party to the court case.

In Wadsworth鈥檚 case, seyem and KFN鈥檚 response says that she was never appointed CEO, but that an external consultant was brought in to help with operations after Knights left.

They also accuse Wadsworth of continuing to pay Knights her full salary after Knights went on medical leave. They deny she had a lack of direction and say she had the same job duties when she returned to work as before her leave.

The 91原创 Advance Times has reached out to the KFN and to the lawyer for Knights and Wadsworth for comment.