A judge has dismissed a Burnaby woman’s claim that Douglas College misrepresented its Aboriginal stream program.
Last week, Agnes Tong presented her case against the college before a judge in small claims court. She argued she was owed $3,700 by Douglas College after it failed to provide her with a certificate of completion after she finished its eight-month Aboriginal stream program, part of the college’s child, family and community studies faculty.
Tong, who is a lawyer herself, intended to use the credential to help her find a job in the field of child protection law, but when she finished the program, she was issued an unofficial document that only recognized her attendance.
Last Thursday, a judge dismissed Tong’s suit and declined the college’s request to have Tong pay both parties’ court fees.
“I’m not really surprised,” Tong said of the decision. “I’m just by myself going up against a pretty large entity, and I believe what I presented to the court was valid and, to me, I felt there was quite the case to find negligent misrepresentation.”
Douglas College wasn’t surprised by the judge’s decision either, according to associate vice-president of public affairs Dave Taylor.
“The result speaks for itself,” he told the NOW. “The complaint, we feel, was without merit and the student didn’t complete a credential, so she didn’t receive one. Ultimately, there was nothing to the claim.”
The Aboriginal stream program is a 16.5-credit, part-time program and is considered a stepping stone for other programs, according to Taylor.
“It’s simply four courses that are designed to ladder into several of our credential courses, and that’s clearly stated in all our materials,” he added.
Tong told the NOW she has not decided whether she will appeal the decision.
“This issue is still something that I think hasn’t been resolved yet,” she said. “It has triggered more questions that need to be answered.”
