Former N.W.T. premier denies sexual harassment allegation in lawsuit involving former mentee
CBC
Stephen Kakfwi denies he sexually harassed his former mentee in a program through the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and denies he acted in any way that could be construed as sexual in nature.
Kakfwi, a former premier of the Northwest Territories, was paired with Cherry Smiley as a mentor in the foundation's scholarship program.
Smiley alleges that Kakfwi sexually harassed her at a conference in St. John's, N.L. in 2018.
Smiley is suing the foundation and Kakfwi for $1.25 million for breach of contract, breach of confidentiality and damages for the way they handled her complaint.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
In her statement of claim, Smiley alleges that Kakfwi rubbed her arm suggestively, "moved his body extremely close to [hers]," and repeatedly invited her to stay with him in Yellowknife, which she said made her uncomfortable.
Smiley, in the court documents, said the events left her feeling "shaken, distressed and upset."
Though Kakfwi was not named as a party to Smiley's original lawsuit, he is named in a re-issued statement of claim filed in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador on March 31 after the foundation argued the lawsuit had been filed in an inappropriate jurisdiction.
In his statement of defence filed May 5, Kakfwi denies "grabbing [Smiley's] arm, rubbing and massaging it for a prolonged period," as Smiley alleges.
He denies that there was any contact between him and Smiley "which could be construed as being sexual in nature."
Kakfwi admits that he invited Smiley to visit the Northwest Territories and to stay with him and his wife, but said he did so "recognizing that traveling can be expensive."
He said he made the same offer to another, male, mentee he was paired with through the program at the same time.
Kakfwi's statement of defence says he and his wife have hosted previous scholars of the program in the past.
Smiley's lawsuit was first filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on May 19, 2021.
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