TAG Cornwall lawsuit settled out of court

In this March 10, 2015, file photo, members of The Art Gallery meet in Cornwall, Ont. The former executive director, the art gallery and two of its directors have settled a lawsuit out of court. (Newswatch Group/File)

CORNWALL – A $500,000 lawsuit, filed by The Art Gallery (TAG) Cornwall’s former executive director, has been settled out of court.

Sylvie Lizotte, 54, had been seeking $100,000 for wrongful dismissal, $100,000 for intentional infliction of mental distress and $50,000 for aggravated and punitive damages.

The claim for a further $250,000 had been sought from two directors of the board – Jamie Gilcig and Wyatt Walsh – for breach of contract, infliction of mental distress, and aggravated and punitive damages.

Lizotte had alleged that the two director had orchestrated a campaign to discredit her and induce her dismissal. The directors had claimed that the gallery had be “fraught with a lack of oversight” and relationships within the gallery were strained.

“The court action has been settled, that’s all I can say,” said Lizotte’s lawyer, Denise Workun of Ottawa firm Nelligan O’Brien Payne LLP, when contacted by Cornwall Newswatch.

“I am not able to discuss it … not providing any comment,” said the defendants’ lawyer, Maria Kotsopoulos of Toronto firm Blaney McMurtry LLP.

The resolution happened sometime between June and this week, based on court records.

The records show the most recent filings on the case had been completed in June 2015.

The resolution came to light this week during a presentation by TAG Cornwall to Cornwall City Council Monday.

“We’d also like to announce that any outstanding legal issues that the gallery might have had are now over. We are now free of any pending or litigation of any type,” Gilcig stated at the end of the presentation.

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