Émilie Castonguay, assistant general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, was singled out in a human rights complaint made public on Sunday.
The complainant, Rachel Doerrie, worked in Team BC’s advanced statistics department until August 1, 2022 and was then promoted to assistant video coach.
According to the document that the 26-year-old woman shared on Twitter, which targets the organization of the Canucks and Castonguay, she was fired a little less than two months later, for a very trivial reason: she shared on her Instagram account an article that recounted the good words of head coach Bruce Boudreau about him.
And according to Doerrie, it was a smear campaign by Castonguay on other Canucks executives, including GM Patrick Allvin, that led to his firing.
“Ms. Castonguay is personally targeted in this complaint because of the central role she played in the dismissal of Ms. Doerrie,” reads the document. She used a thin pretext to orchestrate and obscure the real reasons for her dismissal and is thus responsible for the discriminatory treatment Ms. Doerrie suffered.”
Also according to the complaint, Castonguay did not welcome the news of Doerrie’s promotion. The Quebecer would have met the latter to express her dissatisfaction with the sharing of Boudreau’s comments on Instagram, while “it is customary for Canucks staff to share publications on their personal social networks without facing any consequences”.
The former player’s agent reportedly accused Doerrie of leaking her promotion to the media, which Doerrie still denies. Castonguay allegedly told her “she’s not important enough to care about” and “maybe she doesn’t have what it takes mentally to do the job.”
One factor to consider in this story is Doerrie’s medical condition. She had revealed to the Canucks, before being hired, that she suffered from a heart condition and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
On the eve of her dismissal, during Canucks training camp in Whistler, Doerrie was reportedly “ignored” and “isolated” by Castonguay, visibly unhappy with her promotion. The complainant suffered “several heart attacks and anxiety attacks” during this period, from September 21 to 25.
Doerrie filed a complaint with the organization’s human resources department. A few hours later, DG Allvin put an end to his contract.
“As a woman who has worked hard to make her mark in a male-dominated industry, Ms. Doerrie expected Ms. Castonguay to be supportive, not exploit other obstacles she faces, such as his disabilities. For reasons that still elude Ms. Doerrie, this was not the case,” the complaint concludes.
Castonguay and the Canucks deny
Castonguay later responded to Doerrie’s allegations in a statement released by the Canucks organization.
“I take great pride in my work with the Vancouver Canucks being a good leader, a person of character and someone who respects my colleagues and prioritizes their well-being. Ms. Doerrie’s allegations are absolutely false and she did not report my words correctly.
“I have never treated Mrs. Doerrie differently because of her gender or her physical or mental conditions,” she said.
Same story on the side of the Canucks.
“We strongly disagree with Ms Doerrie’s allegations. Our organization has provided her with all the necessary resources, as well as the support and opportunities for her to be successful in her role. We acted in good faith and met our contractual obligations, whether during or after Ms. Doerrie’s time with the organization.”