Former City of Windsor employee sues for wrongful dismissal

A former City of Windsor employee, Thom Hunt, has filed a lawsuit claiming wrongful dismissal, seeking $2.8 million in total.

Hunt was a city planner for 25 years with the city.

The statement of claim alleges:

On January 24, 2023, Windsor nonetheless gave notice of the termination of Mr. Hunt’s employment with 18 months’ working notice. The decision was made in bad faith, for political reasons, and in retaliation against Mr. Hunt. Among other things, Mr. Hunt had issued a series of public reports – in his capacity as Chair of the Regional Planning Commissioners of Ontario (RPCO) – which were critical of the provincial government’s legislative reforms connected to development of the Ontario Greenbelt and the provincial housing crisis.

It added the work notice period was “excessive and humiliating”, claiming the city “deliberately marginalized and disparaged Mr. Hunt, undermining his ability to carry out his functions or maintain the professional independence necessary to serve the public interest”.

In response to the lawsuit, the City of Windsor said:

We are aware of the statement of claim filed by Thom Hunt against the City of Windsor. The City denies all of the allegations and will defend itself accordingly. As this has now become a legal matter, we will refrain from further comment and allow the legal process to take its course.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.