Paul Miller files lawsuit against Ontario NDP after being turfed

The Hamilton-East Stoney Creek MPP who was turfed from the Ontario NDP over racism allegations is suing the party and its leader for $1.3 million.

In March, the party said it turfed Paul Miller from caucus after discovering he had joined an anti-Muslim Facebook group, a claim Miller denies.

The 71-year-old has since filed a legal action seeking damages for breach of contract, discrimination, conspiracy and duty of good faith.

Leader Andrea Horwath and party officials Michael Balagus and Lucy Watson, as well as the Ontario NDP, are all named in the lawsuit.

In the statement of claim, Miller says he was discriminated against on the grounds of age and marital and family status.

He says the party wanted to get younger candidates involved and warned him not to run over worries about his wife, Carole Paikin Miller, being censured and called to resign over a racism probe at the Hamilton Public School Board.

The party said Miller had previously joined a Facebook group called the Worldwide Coalition Against Islam, but Miller claims his own investigation shows he had no connection to the group and alleges someone used his Facebook account to join it without his knowledge.

In response to the claim, Lucy Watson, the provincial director of the Ontario NDP, told 900 CHML News “We’re confident that the party and our leader did the right thing, and that Mr. Miller’s claim will go nowhere.”