A city police officer and her family is suing the Thunder Bay Police Service and the police services board for $29 million.
A statement of claim was filed Tuesday on behalf of Const. Toni Grann, her husband and children; the claim states the police conducted a negligent investigation and malicious prosecution against Grann.
Grann was charged in November 2010 with 11 counts of breach of trust when she was the Sex Offender Registry administrator. The Crown alleged she had falsified information, didn’t require offenders to come to the Balmoral Street station for verification and used the phone to verify details, which was against procedure.
"She's bringing the action because she feels there was a malicious prosecution," said Nancy Erickson, the lawyer representing Grann.
Justice Jennifer Hoshizaki found Grann not guilty of all charges in March 2012 and said the charges weren't a criminal matter.
Hoshizaki described Grann as an “incompetent employee who took dangerous shortcuts” but probably believed she was doing her job to the best of her ability.
The claim alleges there was a "conspiracy in the police service to harass and overwork (Grann) so that she would quit her job."
While Grann was in charge of the Sex Offender Registry she was on a modified workload, working 20 hours a week.
Duties kept being added to her workload and she went on stress leave in 2010, said Erickson.
"She had been the Sex Offender Registrant for five years, had never had any criticism. She was the only one in that position. She asked for help many times. She was refused any assistance," Erickson said.
"She wasn't even interviewed before she was charged by any of the police officers. She feels it was a negligent investigation."
After acquited of the criminal charges, Grann was facing several Police Act charges, but those have been stayed.
She is still on stress leave.
The situation has also been difficult for Grann's husband and four children, said Erickson.
Her husband has lost business and her children have lost friendships.
"Parents of her friends, some of them had made accusations she was doing something criminally wrong and that she was evil," said Erickson.
"It's been very, very difficult and certainly the publicity during her trial was very, very strong. It's caused a great deal of problems."
A spokesperson for Thunder Bay Police Service said they could not comment on the lawsuit.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
