The City of Windsor has launched a vigorous legal counterattack against a former city planner's $2.8 million wrongful dismissal lawsuit, describing the claims as "spurious," "deliberately inflammatory," and "vexatious" in recently filed court documents.
City Denies All Allegations in Strongly Worded Defence
In a statement of defence dated March 23, approximately twenty months after Thom Hunt initiated legal proceedings against his former employer, the municipality categorically denies all allegations and asserts that Hunt was "terminated in a lawful, good faith manner as a result of a departmental change in direction." The city's legal response represents a comprehensive rejection of the former planner's claims, characterizing them as lacking substance and brought forward in bad faith.
Contrasting Narratives of Termination Period
Hunt, who served as Windsor's planner and executive director of planning and development for sixteen years, filed his statement of claim in July 2024. He alleges experiencing "humiliating treatment" during what he describes as a "punitive" eighteen-month termination notice period. According to his court filing, Hunt received notice of termination in January 2023 but was expected to continue working for another year and a half, during which time he claims the city "deliberately marginalized and disparaged Mr. Hunt, undermining his ability to carry out his functions or maintain the professional independence necessary to serve the public interest."
The city's defence presents a starkly different perspective, describing Hunt's termination notice period as "generous" and explicitly denying that he was "marginalized or humiliated" in any manner. These contrasting accounts form the core of the legal dispute, with both parties presenting fundamentally different interpretations of the same employment transition period.
Substantial Damages Sought in Multi-Million Dollar Claim
Hunt's lawsuit seeks substantial financial compensation across multiple categories: $1.83 million in damages for breach of contract and wrongful dismissal; $500,000 in damages for bad faith in the manner of his dismissal; and an additional $500,000 for aggravated and/or punitive damages. This comprehensive claim represents one of the more significant employment-related lawsuits against the municipality in recent years.
The city's statement of defence offers a firm rebuttal to these financial demands, stating that Windsor "denies that the Plaintiff is entitled to the damages claimed, or at all." The municipality further argues that Hunt was provided with "all of his entitlements" under both the Employment Standards Act and common law, suggesting the city fulfilled its legal obligations throughout the termination process.
Disputed Claims About Professional Access and Participation
Addressing specific allegations that Hunt was prevented from attending meetings and denied access to the Windsor email network, the city presents contradictory evidence. According to the defence filing, Hunt participated in "numerous high-level meetings" after receiving his termination notice, and his network access was suspended only after he went on an extended medical leave.
"As the Plaintiff was medically unfit to perform work duties for a period greater than one month, there was no operational justification for him to maintain access to his corporate email network," the city's statement of defence explains. This justification forms part of the city's broader argument that its actions were reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances.
Allegations of Retaliation and Professional Leadership
Hunt's lawsuit includes claims that his termination represented a "retaliatory act" connected to his leadership role with the Regional Planning Commissioners of Ontario. The city's defence filing directly contradicts this assertion, stating that Windsor "actively supported" his position as chair of the RPCO by assigning an assistant specifically to support him in that capacity.
This particular disagreement highlights the fundamentally different interpretations each party has regarding the professional relationship and the circumstances surrounding Hunt's departure from municipal employment.
Legal Characterizations and Future Proceedings
The city's legal response contains particularly strong language, describing Hunt's statement of claim as "replete of spurious allegations that are deliberately inflammatory, vexatious and brought forward in bad faith for the ostensibly thinly-veiled purpose of attempting to embarrass the Defendant, its elected officials and members of its senior administrative team."
It is important to note that all allegations contained in both the statement of claim and the statement of defence remain unproven in court. The legal process will ultimately determine the validity of each party's claims as the case progresses through the judicial system. The substantial financial stakes and strong language employed by both sides suggest this dispute may involve protracted legal proceedings before reaching resolution.
