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CANADIAN EMPLOYMENT LAW TODAY
Paramedic let go
for meeting with young patients
Off-duty meeting with teenage girls involving beer and cigarettes
was a serious breach of trust justifying dismissal: Arbitrator
| BY JEFFREY R. SMITH |
AN ONTARIO arbitrator has upheld the
termination of a paramedic who met
with and provided beer to two underage
girls while off-duty.
Bobby Sankar, 41, was a paramedic
with the City of Toronto for 10 years. He
was considered a good employee with a
discipline-free record and
achieved additional qualiOFF-DUTY
fications beyond that of a
basic paramedic.
In late 2011, Sankar experienced some
adversity in his life. He and his wife lost
their life savings in a bad real estate deal
and he was diagnosed as diabetic. Trying to adjust to the medication while
going through the financial difficulties
led to Sankar feeling depressed, irritable
and distant.
On Nov. 20, 2011, Sankar and his partner were called to a residential treatment centre for teenaged girls with
mental health and other issues. They
transported a 16-year-old girl who was
reportedly suicidal and had tried to jump
in front of a car to the hospital. Sankar
rode with the girl in the back of the
ambulance and completed
a report documenting her
CONDUCT condition, age and the reason for the call.
On Dec. 21, 2011, Sankar and his partner were called once again to the treatment centre regarding the same girl and
a 15-year-old girl, who were reportedly
cutting themselves. They took the girls
to the hospital, with Sankar and a police
officer riding in the back of the ambu-
lance. Sankar filled out another report
on the girls' condition, noting the 16year-old from the first call was on antidepressant medication.
Friendly with patient
Two weeks later, on Jan. 5, 2012,
Sankar brought a patient to the hospital
and encountered the 15-year-old girl,
who was there because of an eye injury.
They talked and Sankar gave his cellphone number to the girl when she
asked for it.
One week after that, on Jan. 13, the
girl called Sankar while he was off-duty.
He agreed to meet both girls at a local
mall the next day, which was a Saturday.
Sankar picked up the girls at the mall
Continued on page 9
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Published by Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2013
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