Grand Forks’ former Fire Chief Dale Heriot wants the Supreme Court of B.C. to throw out a lawsuit alleging that he participated in a conspiracy to broadly injure a former city firefighter, according to a response filed by Heriot’s lawyer on March 8.
READ MORE: Former Grand Forks firefighter suing department, city over alleged conspiracy, constructed dismissal
Leslie William Cleverly filed suit with the court in January, alleging that he was bullied, harassed and threatened by Heriot and three co-defendants at Grand Forks/Fire Rescue, where Cleverly claims to have served as a “paid, on-call firefighter” for the City of Grand Forks, also named as a defendant. Among other allegations, Cleverly said he was defamed by Heriot and other co-defendants, which Heriot says hurt his income through his Grand Forks business.
READ MORE: Grand Forks firefighters respond to former colleague’s lawsuit alleging conspiracy
Heriot in his response denied all of Cleverly’s allegations, including that he recruited a family member to run drive-by surveillance outside Cleverly’s home, allegedly in a bid to intimidate the plaintiff.
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Heriot opposes all of Cleverly’s requests for damages, asking the court not only to dismiss the plaintiff’s lawsuit, but also to award Heriot legal costs.
None of the claims by Cleverly or any of the defendants named in his statement of claim have been tested in court.
Heriot is meanwhile suing the City of Grand Forks for wrongful dismissal. That case is scheduled to go to trial at the Supreme Court in Vancouver next October, according to court documents.
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