Black heritage group in Halifax fires white director

16 posts / 0 new

Wed, 2011-09-21 20:23

WilderMore

HALIFAX—A white Anglican minister is no longer employed as executive director of a group that aims to redress the destruction of a Halifax black community in the 1960s following a furor over her hiring.

Carole Nixon said Wednesday she wasn’t given a reason for her sudden termination as executive director of the Africville Heritage Trust.

“I am blown away, I guess that’s the best way to put it,” she said in an interview. “I’m very disappointed. I’m quite angry.”

Nixon said she met Wednesday morning with trust chairwoman Daurene Lewis and other members of the board and was told it was her choice to either resign or be terminated without cause.

She said she was given until the end of the month to choose, but her job ended immediately.

The Africville trust said in a statement that Nixon was the best person for the job when she was hired “but that is no longer the case.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1057587--black-heritage-group...

I smell a lawsuit....

Wed, 2011-09-21 20:53

6079_Smith_W

According to the CBC the board stood by her against criticism until it was discovered that she had been fired from a number of jobs in cases that involved financial irregularities.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/09/20/ns-africville...

Wed, 2011-09-21 21:04

RevolutionPlease RevolutionPlease's picture

Thanks 6079.

I smell something else.

Thu, 2011-09-22 00:31

Lachine Scot

Honestly, a white person could have been fired from a job like this for being white and I would have been fine with it. So many of our organizations are stacked with white people, it's a situation which requires correction, not perpetuation.

Thu, 2011-09-22 00:31

Lachine Scot

Shame on the Toronto Star for not-so-subtly playing up the white victimization angle.

Thu, 2011-09-22 01:14

milo204

If only FN's could do this with the minister of indian affairs.

Thu, 2011-09-22 03:25

theleftyinvestor

Lachine Scot wrote:

Honestly, a white person could have been fired from a job like this for being white and I would have been fine with it. So many of our organizations are stacked with white people, it's a situation which requires correction, not perpetuation.

I am reminded of...

http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-finally-put-in-charge-of-struggling...

Thu, 2011-09-22 06:57

Maysie

milo204 wrote:

If only FN's could do this with the minister of indian affairs.

Hell, yes.

Thu, 2011-09-22 08:50

MegB

She should never have been hired in the first place. When I first heard of the controversy I thought, 'what the hell are they thinking, hiring a white director? It's Africville!' She was never the "best person for the job".

Thu, 2011-09-22 10:17

#10

Lachine Scot

theleftyinvestor wrote:

I am reminded of...

http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-finally-put-in-charge-of-struggling...

Haha!

Thu, 2011-09-22 11:44

#11

Northern Shoveler Northern Shoveler's picture

Rebecca West wrote:

She should never have been hired in the first place. When I first heard of the controversy I thought, 'what the hell are they thinking, hiring a white director? It's fucking Africville!' She was never the "best person for the job".

That was my immediate reaction as well.

There is no lawsuit here they will just pay her money in lieu of notice that is unless the "rumours" about her character are originating from her former employer in that event she will be getting a lot more than the normal case. In Canada an employer can fire anyone they want without cause as long as they give them enough notice to allow them time to find another job. However if you try to destroy the employees character while terminating their employment the courts can then award far larger damages under what are called "Wallace damages."

Thu, 2011-09-22 14:36

#12

Timebandit Timebandit's picture

Rebecca West wrote:

She should never have been hired in the first place. When I first heard of the controversy I thought, 'what the hell are they thinking, hiring a white director? It's Africville!' She was never the "best person for the job".

Well, somewhere along the line a hiring committee thought she was.

I can understand wanting to hire someone who is a POC for this job, but once someone is hired it only seems fair that they should be let go for issues around their performance. Even a person's history, if it doesn't come up for whatever reason, shouldn't bear on it unless there's some evidence of wrongdoing in the current position. That said, you can let someone go without cause provided you pay severance.

Thu, 2011-09-22 17:01

#13

milo204

i agree, as long as they pay severance and do what is fair there's no problem here.

Mon, 2011-10-03 04:15

#14

Doug

Rebecca West wrote:

She should never have been hired in the first place. When I first heard of the controversy I thought, 'what the hell are they thinking, hiring a white director? It's Africville!' She was never the "best person for the job".

I suppose that depends on how much weight you put on identity and lived experience as a qualification compared to other things. Obviously in this case it should count for something but it's hard to say it was an obviously wrong idea to hire her without knowing more about her experience and the experience of the other people who applied.

Mon, 2011-10-03 09:08

#15

Unionist

Northern Shoveler wrote:
In Canada an employer can fire anyone they want without cause as long as they give them enough notice to allow them time to find another job.

Only non-unionized employees.

In unionized workplaces, dismissal must be for just cause - and arbitrators have the power to order reinstatement, not just monetary damages.

That's one of the lesser-known benefits of unionization.

Sorry for the thread drift, but I have no particular comment on the thread topic - can't see what the issue is, really.

Mon, 2011-10-03 12:04

#16

Northern Shoveler Northern Shoveler's picture

Unionist wrote:

Northern Shoveler wrote:
In Canada an employer can fire anyone they want without cause as long as they give them enough notice to allow them time to find another job.

Only non-unionized employees.

In unionized workplaces, dismissal must be for just cause - and arbitrators have the power to order reinstatement, not just monetary damages.

That's one of the lesser-known benefits of unionization.

Thx Unionist I normally remember to include the union exception. Of course as the Director she would not be in a union but would be in management.