Former City of Nanaimo chief financial officer Victor Mema lodged a series of racism complaints against his former employer. (City of Nanaimo)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Hearing delayed

Racial discrimination hearing involving former City CFO postponed

Oct 19, 2019 | 3:36 AM

NANAIMO — A lengthy delay means a BC Human Rights Tribunal complaint launched by the City of Nanaimo’s former chief financial officer likely won’t be heard until next summer.

The City’s human resources director John Van Horne said the hearing involving Victor Mema’s application and the City’s responses was delayed due to staffing issues on the tribunal’s end.

The hearing between Mema and the City of Nanaimo was slated to begin Monday, Oct. 21.

Mema alleged several incidents of racial discrimination were displayed while he was employed by the City. Specifically, tribunal documents outlined Mema’s belief the City failed or refused to properly consider black African candidates for City positions.

Mema alleged in Feb. 2018 a counsellor read out text messages from a union president urging the termination of the deputy director of financial services as “members were unhappy that blacks were being hired in the financial services department.”

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Mema also said his suspension “was a pretext to get rid of all black Africans employed at the City.”

The City denied Mema’s allegations.

Mema and the City parted ways in May, 2018 after he was suspended by the former City Council in response to a “serious misconduct” complaint filed by staff.

Mema was employed by the City of Nanaimo for two-and-a-half years.

The BC Human Rights Tribunal dismissed a previous racial discrimination case by Mema against the District of Sechelt.

Mema once served as Sechelt’s chief financial officer.

Following a tribunal hearing, a case can be dismissed or a range of remedies can be ordered to compensate a complainant.

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