Mayor Ron Paull's wife is suing councillor Laurey-Anne Roodenburg and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) for defamation following criticism around a book Morton shared that denied some of the realities of residential schools.
Court documents obtained by Black Press Media say a letter from UBCIC to Quesnel council "falsely characterized Pat Morton as a promoter of residential school denialism and was perceived as a formal denunciation by a major Indigenous authority."
The documents go on to say the letter escalated the controversy that already existed surrounding a book titled Grave Errors: How the Media Misled Us (And the truth about residential schools) which Morton shared with people with personal contacts. Those contacts include Coun. Tony Goulet's parents. Goulet identifies as Métis. His mother, Connie Goulet is involved with the Métis community and his father, Lawrence Goulet attended a residential school, the court documents state.
Morton said in the documents she had not yet read the book but wanted Connie's opinions on it. Connie took the book and said she would return it to Morton, the documents go on to say.
They go on to say Morton bought 11 copies of the book and distributed them to friends, they add she was reimbursed. A copy was offered to the library and the MLA at the time, Coralee Oakes, who returned it unread, documents add.
"The remaining books were given to close friends and family," documents say.
The lawsuit says Roodenburg told Mayor Ron Paull that Morton had been distributing books. A letter from Lhtako Dene Nation was read into record saying "someone related to a member of council" had been distributing a book. The letter did not say the "someone" in question was Morton. Paull stated his wife had given a copy to Connie Goulet.
According to documents, this caused Roodenburg to say at council Morton had disrespected Paull's position as mayor and this was the second the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Lhtako Dene Nation had to be reaffirmed due to Morton's actions. The court documents state it was only the first time the MOU had to be reaffirmed due to Morton's actions and she requested an apology from Roodenburg, which was not given.
At the March 19, 2024 meeting, Roodenburg was emotional as she spoke about building relationships with First Nations and the affect the book has on that relationship.
"I respect the fact that people have the right to their opinions, but what I don't see here is the respect your wife has shown you in your role for mayor of this community," Roodenburg said at the meeting, adding her actions reflect on the mayor, on council and on the community as a whole. "To distribute a book that claims cultural genocide did not occur is morally reprehensible and clearly comes from a place that is meant to do harm to our First Nations communities."
Court documents state Morton sent another letter after the meeting regarding her concerns, but it went unanswered.
When asked why, she was told the letter was not received, documents state. She said the letter went to members of council but not to staff.
"When I attempted to speak at the April 2, (2024) meeting, I was shouted down by members of the gallery with yelling and drumming," the lawsuit states. "Councillor Roodenburg did not intervene, de-escalate or protect my right to speak." Documents go on to say Roodenburg repeatedly interrupted Morton with points of order.
"At no time before council was I given an opportunity to defend myself."
At the April 2, 2024 meeting the chiefs of Lhtako Dene and Nazko First Nation were invited to speak to council, as were elders who were subjected to residential schools in their youth.
The meeting on April 2, 2024 was not about Morton's conduct, but Paull's, who was accused of sharing the book with members of the Cariboo Regional District board. He said he was not distributing it and was using it as an example for material that should not be in libraries.
"As a leader in my community, we're very sensitive to what goes in the community. What things can hurt our people. And this definitely hurts our people," Lhtako Dene Chief Clifford LeBrun told council at that meeting. "Not only just the survivors that have to re-live it again. And wounds that have just been healed just a little bit from the findings in Tk̓emlúps and Williams Lake First Nation and other residential schools across Canada. This is not some ploy to get money. This is to get the truth out there."
Roodenburg thanked LeBrun for speaking and said she hopes the relationship between council and Lhtako Dene Nation can be restored.
Chief Leah Stump of Nazko First Nation spoke after LeBrun.
"I'm a second-generation survivor. My mother. My aunties. All of my community members in that generation attended residential school and some of them have died without healing," Stump said. "In the last three years we've started that healing journey and some of them are actually starting to heal. And every time something like this comes up, it just brings us back down again and having to start over."
After the chiefs spoke, elders who were sent to residential schools touched on their experiences and the pain the book had caused them.
Morton, and every speaker after the Indigenous survivors and leaders, was not given the same opportunities to speak as the Indigenous delegates who were invited to share with council.
"I'm sorry if my actions sharing the book have upset you," Morton said to the packed gallery at the meeting. "I did ask Connie Goulet if she would like to give me an opinion on the book and she agreed to-" Morton was cut off by council, told that she can ask for a point of clarity or ask a question.
Morton asked why Roodenburg, the city's Indigenous relations liaison, didn't come to her when rumours of her sharing the book were being spread in the city.
"My business is with the mayor, not with you. It is his actions we are condemning tonight. Don't care about the book, Pat Morton, what we care about is the fact you have no respect for your husband as the mayor of this city," Roodenburg said. She gestured to the packed gallery and added, "And here is the fallout to your actions in the community."
In the court documents, Morton said news reports and social media posts echoed Roodenburg's statements.
"Implying I was spreading residential school denialism, racism and hatred," the documents say. They add that those comments caused significant damage to Morton. The documents say people went to her workplace requesting copies of the book and her son, who owns QTax was encouraged to let go of Morton by a local First Nation. When he refused, QTax lost their contract with the First Nation, the documents say. They add that long-term clients cancelled their appointments with the company.
"The cumulative effects of the meetings, media coverage and social media posts resulted in social ostracization, loss of business for my son, reputational harm to me and my husband," according to the lawsuit. "The ostracization was so obvious when we attended public functions such as the Community Foundation Dinner, the Firemen's Appreciation Dinner and the Billy Barker Days Corp Night."
Paull was asked not to participate in Billy Barker Days in 2024, something he had done every year, even prior to his time as mayor.
"The stress of the actions Councillor Roodenburg have caused me to fear for my safety, affected me mentally and affected me physically," Morton says in the lawsuit.
In the UBCIC letter it is stated:
"We are aware that Mayor Paull's wife, Pat Morton, bought cases of the book and handed them out to her clients from her son's tax office (QTax) in Quesnel, in blatant disregard for the impact this would have on residential school survivors and their families."
Morton's court filing against Roodenburg state:
"In February 2024, Connie Goulet and her husband Lawrence came to my office at QTax Quality Tax Services to have their taxes prepared," the documents say. "I asked if Connie would be willing to give me her opinion on the book." Morton then loaned a copy of the book to Connie.
The lawsuit adds Morton believes the letter from UBCIC gave credibility to attacks against her, adding she has suffered emotional distress, fear and reputational damage due to the letter.
In the case against Roodenburg, Morton is asking for:
- General damages for defamation
- Special costs due to the defendant's (Roodenburg) improper public conduct, including actions made in bad faith
- General litigation costs and disbursements
- Punitive damages for reckless conduct
- An order requiring the defendant (Roodenburg) to issue a formal apology
- Any other relief the court deems just
Against the UBCIC, she is asking for:
- General damages for reputational harm, defamation, emotional distress and business losses
- Special damages related to loss of professional standing and community trust
- An injunction requiring the UBCIC to issue a public clarification/apology
- An order requiring the UBCIC to cease ongoing harmful publications or endorsements
- Costs of the legal action
- Further relief the court deems just
Black Press Media can find no evidence the UBCIC letter was read into the record at a council meeting. The City of Quesnel confirmed after reviewing agendas and correspondence they do have a letter from UBCIC dated April 2, 2024 and it was forwarded to council members but not read at a meeting. The court documents show a screenshot of the letter, addressed to the mayor and members of council, from the Lhtako Dene Facebook page, that post no longer appears to be on the First Nation's page. The UBCIC did issue a press release on the same date, however that document has different content.
Paull was sanctioned and censured by council in 2024, Paull challenged that in court and won his case. Roodenburg and the UBCIC have yet to file a response to Morton's filings.
