Former Niagara conservation authority suing for wrongful dismissal

Former Niagara peninsula conservation authority CAO Mark Brickell has filed a lawsuit against the authority worth nearly $2 million. He claims he was fired illegally in December and still doesn’t know why.

Brickell was hired by the authority in 2014, he says he was unanimously appointed by the board as chief administrative officer in 2017.

In January of 2018, the Attorney General conducted an audit and released a report later that year focusing on operations between 2014 and 2017. The report suggested a need to review existing recruitment policies and practices to ensure fairness and transparency.

Last November Brickell says he was placed on administrative leave with pay and still no explanation why. In court documents he claims, on or about December 6th, he was unlawfully terminated.

Brickell believes his dismissal wasn’t dealt with privately and letters were sent to high profile officials.

Brickell who made about $155 000 a year is suing for almost two million.

This is the second lawsuit against the region this month. Carmen d’Angelo officially quit his position with the Niagara region earlier this month and launched his own lawsuit.