By Michelle Gamage, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THE TYEE

A former Northern Health employee says she was removed from her position for being critical of Israel91裸聊视频檚 war in Gaza.

On Wednesday Amy Blanding, former director of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility office at Northern Health, filed a lawsuit against B.C. health provider for being constructively terminated, defamation and breach of Charter Rights.

Constructively terminated, or constructive dismissal, is when an employer does not directly fire an employee but fails to comply with or changes a contract in a way that forces an employee to quit, according to the federal government.

91裸聊视频淣orthern Health had led Ms. Blanding to believe that, based on her excellent work, she would be appointed an executive director position in the IDEA field. It then suddenly dismissed her for articulating the very views expected of an IDEA professional: defence of human rights and support for peace,91裸聊视频� the lawsuit reads in part.

Blanding was joined at the courts by her former supervisor, Vash Ebbadi-Cook, former executive director for workforce sustainability, quality and innovation at Northern Health, who quit in protest after Blanding91裸聊视频檚 termination. Ebbadi-Cook was there for support only they are not participating in the lawsuit.

Blanding and Ebbadi-Cook say Blanding was removed after a group in Prince George complained that Blanding91裸聊视频檚 personal pro-Palestinian stance impacted Jewish people91裸聊视频檚 and other minority groups91裸聊视频� ability to access the IDEA office.

Blanding and Ebbadi-Cook allege that Northern Health removed Blanding without validating the claims made against her.

Blanding is asking for financial compensation for severance and damages and for an apology letter Northern Health sent to the complainants after she was removed from the position to be retracted.

The Tyee was shown this letter, which apologizes to the complainants and members of the Jewish community who were made to feel unsafe, and says the complaints against Blanding were 91裸聊视频渋nvestigated91裸聊视频� and that it 91裸聊视频渕ade changes91裸聊视频� to who ran the IDEA office so that it 91裸聊视频渄oes not expect that the same or similar issues will arise.91裸聊视频�

The Tyee sent a list of Blanding and Ebbadi-Cook91裸聊视频檚 allegations to Northern Health to give the health authority an opportunity to respond, but Northern Health declined to comment, noting that 91裸聊视频渕atters related to past and present employees of Northern Health are private and confidential, therefore we cannot comment on the circumstances.91裸聊视频�

Blanding and Ebbadi-Cook91裸聊视频檚 allegations have not yet been tested in court.