Lake Babine Nation has been ordered to pay its former financial controller nearly $100,000 after failing to respond in time to a wrongful dismissal claim brought against the band.
Vivian Pylatuik, a Prince George-based chartered accountant, brought the suit against the band in mid-May, saying she was dismissed without just cause after refusing to take a 50-per-cent reduction in pay.
According to her notice of civil claim, she had signed a one-year contract that started in February 2012 in which she would be paid salary of $200,000 per year plus pension and benefits.
In early September, the band asked her for a 50 per cent cut in pay.
Four days after the band had issued the request, she offered to return to work for two months to train her successor but three days after that, the band notified Pylatuik that she was terminated, according to the claim.
Pylatuik claimed she suffered not only loss of salary and benefits because she was let go before the contract was up, but her reputation also suffered because the band had claimed she was terminated with cause.
Pylatuik also claimed the demand to cut her pay in half amounted to a constructive dismissal.
The band had 35 days to respond but failed to file a response.
Pylatuik had been seeking $101,904 but in an order July 8 following a hearing at the Prince George courthouse, that amount was reduced by $5,400 in earnings to $96,504, plus interest of about $780.
Reached Monday, Lake Babine Nation chief Wilf Adam said he had been advised by the band's lawyer not to comment.
Lake Babine Nation has nearly 2,400 registered members. Its main reserve is adjacent to Burns Lake, 226 kilometres west of Prince George.
