Two men being sued for alleged drugging and sexual assault are now in turn suing their former employer for firing them over the allegations.
Victoria real estate agents Andrew Rogers and Bowman Rutledge filed a lawsuit against Norstar Alliance Real Estate Services, doing business as The Agency, on Feb. 10. The Agency terminated the men in March 2021 after anonymous reports of sexual assault arose against them on a social media page for survivors, called Survivor Stories Project.
Rogers and Rutledge claim that by doing so The Agency broke the conditions of their contract and defamed them.
The sexual assault allegations date back to 2018 when the men were working at Engel and Volkers Vancouver Island, but surfaced while they were employed as independent contractors with The Agency.
Rogers and Rutledge say shortly after the posts about them appeared online, the managing broker of The Agency reached out to them and said the company would be letting the legal system determine whether the allegations were true, but would be suspending their contracts in the meantime.
But less than an hour later, The Agency made an Instagram post saying it had terminated its relationship with them, the men claim.
“We stand in full support of women who have endured sexual abuse and we encourage anyone with information to please come forward,” the March 25, 2021 post read.
Rogers and Rutledge say this was the only notice they were given of their firing, and that they’ve received no explanation or basis since.
By terminating them publicly and asking anyone with information to come forward, The Agency also defamed the men, the lawsuit claims. Rogers and Rutledge say the firing post was “malicious or reckless in its intent,” and that The Agency should have known it would further ostracize them at a time when the sexual assault allegations were receiving significant attention on social media and in the news.
Rogers and Rutledge deny the allegations of sexual assault. They say they have been branded as sexual predators in the community and continue to suffer damage to their personal and professional reputations.
The men are suing The Agency for damages related to loss of work, stress and mental anguish, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, loss of enjoyment of life, threats of physical harm, and reputational damage. The Agency has not responded to the claim with a filing of defence as of publication of this story.
Rogers and Rutledge are also in the midst of being sued themselves by a former client – referred to as J.K. to protect her identity – who says the men drugged and sexually assaulted her in their office while they were working at Engel and Volkers Vancouver Island in the summer of 2018.
None of the allegations by any of the parties have been proven in court.
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.
Environment Canada says the weather system will bring prolonged heavy rain to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Vancouver Island starting Friday.
The agency says strong winds with gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour will also develop on Saturday — the day thousands are expected to go to the polls across B.C. — in parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.
Wednesday was the last day for advance voting, which started on Oct. 10.
More than 180,000 voters cast their votes Wednesday — the most ever on an advance voting day in B.C., beating the record set just days earlier on Oct. 10 of more than 170,000 votes.
Environment Canada says voters in the area of the atmospheric river can expect around 70 millimetres of precipitation generally and up to 100 millimetres along the coastal mountains, while parts of Vancouver Island could see as much as 200 millimetres of rainfall for the weekend.
An atmospheric river system in November 2021 created severe flooding and landslides that at one point severed most rail links between Vancouver’s port and the rest of Canada while inundating communities in the Fraser Valley and B.C. Interior.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
