Former Manitoba Inuit Association CEO sues alleging wrongful dismissal

Nastania Mullin, former chief executive officer of the Manitoba Inuit Association, is suing his former employer and the Inuit Association of Manitoba alleging he was wrongfully dismissed, denied severance and terminated in bad faith.

Mullin alleges his employment was improperly terminated from the Manitoba Inuit Association on Nov. 7, without board approval and in violation of the terms of his employment contract, in a statement of claim filed Feb. 18 in the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba.

The Manitoba Inuit Association is the official representative body for Inuit in the province and the Inuit Association of Manitoba functions as its grassroots charitable arm, focusing on cultural preservation, traditional skills and the Inuit Child First Initiative.

Mullin is seeking $646,500 in contractual severance, representing two-and-a-half years of salary, bonuses, housing allowance, RRSP contributions and benefits.

He’s also seeking $50,000 in aggravated damages and $25,000 in punitive damages, alleging the dismissal was carried out in bad faith and in breach of the duty of honest performance.

In total, Mullin is asking for $721,500.

Mullin earned more than $250,000 a year as chief executive officer, including a $185,000 base salary and additional bonuses and benefits, according to the statement of claim.

The legal action follows allegations of sexual assault, harassment and intimidation against Mullin that came out last year.

Mullin alleges he was terminated without prior warnings, negative performance reviews or an opportunity to respond to the allegations.

The claim further alleges the decision to dismiss Mullin was never brought before the full board, no meeting was held and no resolution was passed, despite his contract requiring board approval.

The Manitoba Inuit Association said in a Nov. 7 Facebook post its board terminated Mullin “after an intensive review.”

The association also said at the time that it had commissioned an outside organization to conduct an independent investigation but did not identify the investigator. It’s not clear whether that investigation is complete.

Mullin alleges the manner of dismissal caused him mental distress and reputational harm, including damage to his professional standing in Indigenous and legal communities.

Mullin has not been charged with a crime, and the allegations have not been tested in court.

The Manitoba Inuit Association did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. Neither Mullin’s lawyer nor Mullin could be reached for comment.