Hearing Based on Incomplete Investigation by URSU
A Regina judge has ruled URSU must pay $87,000 for wrongful termination.
Last year, the University of Regina faced significant historical events including the eviction of the former student union, URSU (University of Regina Students’ Union).
Now, URSU is back in headlines after a decision on a case involving its former director of programs and public relations, Haris Khan.
The details were laid out in a comprehensive 31-page decision released May 1 by Regina Court of King’s Bench Justice Michael J. Morris.
URSU: defunct, in a funct and totally funct yet the drama continues
URSU has faced multiple lawsuits over the last year, including a lengthy fight with the university, the students’ centre and now, a former employee. The organization itself is in a dissolution process after an online referendum where 70 students voted to dissolve URSU (13 voted to keep it).
Haris Khan had filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination.
…having the potential to make a career in tragedy fiction writing.
Khan was a long-term member of governance at the students’ union. His jobs there ranged from vice-president of student affairs to director of programs and public relations of URSU.
In February 2024, he was dismissed from his position at URSU, with management citing absenteeism on three specific days, which was categorized as “time theft.” Khan provided messages and e-mails to prove his presence in the office.
URSU executive Aoun Muhammad was found to be out of the country during those specific days, suggesting management could not accurately verify Khan’s absence.
On May 1, the Court awarded Khan $77,380 for wrongful termination plus $10,000 in damages to his mental health, for a total of $87,380.
It has yet to be confirmed if URSU or Khan will appeal.
The judgement references that URSU drafted up Khan’s contract, which included severance pay. Judge Morris noted that “URSU had the bargaining power, not Mr. Khan.”
Image Credit: Regina Leader Post
The judgement also states that Khan’s relocation to Texas, for which he asked for moral damages of $35,000 and punitive damages of $25,000, was declined on the basis that the former URSU employee concurrently resigned from his job at the Government in Regina to relocate, and the purpose of relocation could not be confirmed to correlate to the termination.
Khan, however, also argued that the manner of his dismissal caused mental health impacts beyond those ordinarily associated with losing a job.
The decision referenced an April 2024 carillon article on allegations of “islamophobia” surrounding job terminations at URSU. The judgement notes that Aoun Muhammad, then interim General manager of URSU, stated that dismissals were due to “grave misconduct,” not Islamophobia.
Along with that, the court also referenced Muhammad’s comments on Khan “having the potential to make a career in tragedy fiction writing,” which Khan viewed as “insulting and demeaning.”
Ultimately, Justice Michael Morris concluded that Khan did suffer mental health impacts beyond those of ordinarily losing a job. The court found that several issues factored into those impacts, including URSU ’s failure to conduct a reasonable investigation, its failure to provide minimum statutory notice until ordered to do so, and public remarks alluding to “grave misconduct.” Due to the ruling, Khan was awarded the additional $10,000 in moral damages.
