'It has mentally and emotionally destroyed me': Former Vancouver Canucks coaching staffer files human rights complaint

Two months after being fired, a former member of the Vancouver Canucks coaching staff has filed a complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal against the hockey team over alleged discrimination.

In a 20-page document posted to Twitter Sunday night, Rachel Doerrie outlines why she believes she was terminated based on her mental illness and physical disability on Sept. 27.

“The past 2 months has been very hard for me,” the 26-year-old wrote in her post. “It has mentally and emotionally destroyed me. I feel broken. I am done hiding.”

Doerrie explains in her complaint that she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2018, the same year she learned she had a heart condition known as vasovagal syncope and a leaky heart valve.

She says she informed the Vancouver Canucks of her disabilities when the team offered her a job as an analyst with the coaching staff. Doerrie accepted the position with the understanding that she would be provided a safe and healthy work environment, according to her complaint.

“It was important to Ms. Doerrie that this issue be addressed at the outset of any employment relationship, as Ms. Doerrie was considering employment opportunities with multiple NHL teams and she did not wish to commence a new job with a team that would not be respectful, considerate, or accommodating of her health conditions,” the complaint reads.

According to Doerrie, her trouble with the team began when she was offered a promotion to analyst/assistant video coach.

"The working environment actually with the coaching staff was fantastic. They are really supportive, they are very open minded,” Doerrie said in an interview with CTV News.

But she says the promotion seemed to upset Emilie Castonguay, the team’s assistant general manager.

Doerrie alleges she was told by Castonguay that she was not mentally fit for the job, in response to Doerrie’s reposting of an article about her own promotion, which her friend and reporter Patrick Johnston wrote for the Province.

In the wake of the article being published on Sept. 19, Doerrie claims Castonguay began ignoring her and triggering mental health episodes, concluding that Castonguay stoked the flames that led to her eventual firing eight days later by speaking poorly about her social media behaviour with senior staff and the human resources department.

Castonguay denied the allegations in a statement to CTV News.

“I take a lot of pride in my work with the Vancouver Canucks, being a good leader, a person of high moral character, and always respecting and putting my co-workers first,” Castonguay wrote in a statement to CTV News.

“These allegations by Ms. Doerrie are absolutely not true and her allegations of what I said to her are false and inaccurate. At no time was Ms. Doerrie treated differently due to gender, a mental disability or a physical condition.“

Castonguay also says she isn’t commenting on the issue any further, as it is a legal matter.

Employment lawyer Lindsay Waddell, who is not involved with any of the parties in this complaint, says if it is substantiated the tribunal could award money for lost wages, and more.

"Things the tribunal can do that are a little bit different are that it can award – and it commonly does – what are called damages for injury to dignity, feelings, and self-respect,” she said. “That is a lump sum designed to compensate the individual for the impact it had on them."

Canucks Sports & Entertainment also released a statement responding to the human rights complaint.

“We strongly disagree with the allegations brought forth by Ms. Doerrie. Our organization provided Ms. Doerrie with all the necessary resources, support and opportunities to succeed in her role. We acted in good faith and abided by our contractual obligations, both during and after Ms. Doerrie’s employment with the organization.”

The BC Human Rights Tribunal will now evaluate the complaint to see if it meets the tribunal’s criteria.

Typically, if a complaint is deemed to meet the criteria, the complainant and the respondents could agree to mediation, choose to settle, or proceed to a hearing.

Doerrie said she is not interested in mediation and would like to have a hearing before the tribunal .

“This is not about revenge, it’s not about money,” she said. “It’s about trying to change something that is long overdue and frankly, nothing is going to change unless people speak up.”