Former employee sues MP Yasmin Ratansi, claims she fired him for attending abortion

A former employee ofYasmin Ratansi is suing themember of Parliamentfor $2 million, claiming Ratansiverbally abused him on multiple occasions, made aderogatory remarkabout his girlfriendand firedhimfor attending an abortion in 2017.

The lawsuit is only the latest claim of abusive workplace behaviour directed atRatansi. CBC Newsreported late last year that former employees claimedRatansicreated a verbally abusive workplace environment and made offensive remarks to staff members. Ratansihasdenied the allegations.

Ratansi left the Liberal caucus lastfall afterCBC News reportedthat she had beenemploying her sister in her constituency office for years, violating parliamentary rules. Ratansiclaimedit was an error in judgment. Theethics commissioner launched an inquiry, which is still underway.

Now, Ratansi'sformer constituency assistant Alim Lila is alleging that the Independent MP forthe Toronto-area riding ofDon Valley Eastabused her authority in the workplace.

"At the heart of this is all power and using it to intimidate and hurt people," Lila toldCBC News. "That's why I'm speaking out."

Lila is seeking $2 million for general and special damages, according to the statement of claim filedon April 9.

He also claimsRatansi attempted tointimidatehim by demanding to know late last yearwhether he'd spoken to the media about her relationship with staff.

Hours before responding to CBC News' request for a comment, Ratansi posted on Facebook that she was "shocked by the statement of claim," calling its contents "wild and unsupportable allegations."

She wrotethat she is "deeply disturbed" by what CBC News shared with her and said she would defendherself vigorouslyin court.

"Mr. Lila is making false claims regarding his time working in my constituency office in my riding," she wrote.

Verbal abuse claims

Lila started working at Ratansi's office as a summer intern in 2016 and was later hired as a full-time constituency assistant in 2017, according to the lawsuit.

The statement of claim alleges Lila asked for time off work onAug. 17, 2017to accompany his girlfriend at the time to a medical appointment for an abortion.

The lawsuit allegesRatansi, who is Ismaili Muslim, verbally abusedLila, calling him "stupid" and an "idiot" for getting a non-Ismaili Muslim woman pregnant. The lawsuit also claims Ratansimade an insulting and derogatory remark about Lila's then-girlfriend related to her Filipino heritage.

The statement of claim allegesRatansi suggested Filipina women want nothing more than to get pregnant"so the child's father can take care of her" andquestioned Lilaabout his past relationships and sexual history.

Lila claimsRatansi gave him an ultimatum.

"She said that I have two options," Lila toldCBC News. "I can either come to work the day of the appointment and I keep my job, or I can attend the appointment and my time in the office is done."

Lila said he chose to attendthe appointment. That, he said,was the end of his career in politics he gathered his belongings, slipped his key under the office door and never went back.

"I wanted to be present and supportive of my partner as we went throughone of the toughest decisions we ever made," he said."I've lived with the scars and the pain of my termination for years."

WATCH / Former staffer to MP Yasmin Ratansi:

Former staffer sues MP Yasmin Ratansi

4 years ago

Duration 3:06

Former staffer Alim Lila explains why he's suing MP Yasmin Ratansi.

In a statement issuedto CBC News, Ratansi said she had not been served withthestatement of claim. CBC News did provide her witha copy, butRatansisaid it would be "inappropriate to respondvia the media"since the matter is before the courts.

"I categorically disagree with the characterization of the events as you have portrayed it," said Ratansi in a statement. "The allegations should not be relied upon, especially when the allegations relate to a statute barred period of time."

'We all did things in an emotive way,' says Ratansi on recording

CBC News has listened to arecording of a Nov. 11, 2020phonecall between Lila and Ratansi, during whichLila confronts Ratansi about the abortion and his termination.

"We all did things in an emotive way because you were necessary for us. You were really a good fit," Ratansi says during the call.

Ratansi is also heard saying on the recording that she was considering running as an Independent in the next federal election andcouldno longer support Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"I can't afford defending him as he continues the ethical mistakes," Ratansisaysin the recording.

Claims of religious friction

Lila's fatherand Ratansiare both Ismaili Muslims, according to the statement of claim. Lila said Ratansi was unhappy with the fact thatLilawasn't practising the religionand compelled him to attend mosquewith her after work.

"I didn't want to do it, but she would force me to attend with her," Lilatold CBC. "It's her leveraging her power and authority into forcing me to do things I didn't want to do."

Lila claimedRatansi insulted his mother's Guyanese heritage by telling him theGuyanese are"lazy and an under-educated community." He claimedRatansi also openly questioned how he succeeded at school when he was the child of a bank manager and a car salesman.

The lawsuit also claimsRatansi yelled at him for trivial things such asleaving paper in the printer, routinely called his speeches and photos "shit"and erupted in hours-long"fits of rage" that wouldinclude personal attacks against him and other staff members.

Ex-employees say Toronto MP Yasmin Ratansi mistreated them

4 years ago

Duration 1:55

Former employees raise new concerns about the work environment created by Toronto MP Yasmin Ratansi, who is leaving the Liberal caucus after CBC News found she employed her sister for years against parliamentary rules.

'I felt intimidated and I felt scared'

The claims have not been proven in court and Ratansi has not yet filed a statement of defence.

The lawsuit is onlythelatest blowforRatansi.Last month, members of Parliament concluded thatRatansihadbreached parliamentary rules by employing her sister and ordered her to pay back more than $9,000 in severance and termination pay she gave her sister before CBC's story was published.

Lila claims that, after CBC News subsequently aired a story quotingfour former employees accusingRatansi of mistreating them and makingoffensive comments, Ratansi started intimidating him.

On Nov. 11, 2020, he claimed,Ratansi called him and "interrogated" him to find out if he contributed toCBC News' reporting. Lila claims thatRatansi then said she was going to give his name to her legal team for questioning.

CBC News has listened to arecording of the call. Ratansi is heard on the recording repeatedly asking Lilaif he spoke to the media.

"In that moment, I felt intimidated and I felt scared," Lila told CBC. "That caused all sorts of anxiety, and I was deeply concerned that I was going to be harassed by her lawyers. I spent weeks and months anticipating a phone call from them."

The Liberal riding association president gets involved

Thatsame day, Lila said, he received a call from Howard Shuster, president of the Don Valley East Federal Liberal Riding Association, asking him if he would write a letter in support of Ratansi.

According to arecording of the call provided to CBC News,Shuster said more than once that he felt uncomfortable making the call because Ratansi is no longer tied to the party.

Shuster told CBC Newshe doesn't regret making that call and does notremember feeling pressured by Ratansi to make it. He said he's known Ratansi for 35 years as a friend and also knows Lila, and just wanted to help with the situation. He also saidLila had written a resignationletter that expressed support forRatansiin the past.

Ratansi posted excerpts from that resignation letter on Facebook thismorning. In it,LiladescribedRatansi asa mentor.

"You have always pushed me to do better and to be a better person," reads the letter. "You have given me more than enough support and accommodation and I am truly appreciative of everything."

Lila said he sent thatletter about 10 days prior to Ratansi's comments about the abortion. He said he was struggling at the time with the demands of his joband his master's degree, and with the aftermathofa fire at his house.

He said Ratansididn't want toaccept the resignation and offered to make changes at the office to make things easier for him, so he decided to continue working.

At the time, he said,hewas 23yearsold,neededanother job and needed Ratansi as a reference. He argues it's"cruel"to use the letternowto "try to diminish my claims and twist reality."

Lila's lawyer issued a notice to the House of Commons detailing hisclaims on Feb. 24. The letter asked Ratansi to compensate Lilafor "the intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress" she caused, according to the document.

"To date, Ms. Ratansi, through her counsel, has refused to engage in any discussions aimed at resolving Mr. Lila's concerns," said Lila's lawyer Tahir Khorasanee.

The House of Commons said confidentiality is a keypart of its workplace harassment policy and it cannot comment on specific cases.

Lila's lawyersaid he has been trying to serve Ratansiwith the statementof claim since April 6, but has beenunable to do so.