Laurentian University recently re-hired former employee Céleste Boyer as its general counsel, despite criticisms of the general counsel’s office in a consultant’s report issued during the period of time when she served as Laurentian’s interim general counsel.
Given the questions the Nous Group report would seem to raise, Sudbury.com recently reached out to interim Laurentian president Sheila Embleton to ask about Boyer’s re-hiring. “In her current role as Legal Counsel for the Labour and National Advocacy Team at Canada Post, Céleste provides legal advice regarding human rights and accommodations, policy review and development, access to information and protection of privacy, contract review, and other legal processes,” said the email.
Boyer, then serving as Laurentian’s interim general counsel, was among the 70 stakeholders interviewed by Nous Group as part of their Operational Review of Laurentian University, which took place during LU’s insolvency restructuring. As noted above, the consultants said “this office has been led by individuals without the minimum qualifications and experience required to serve as the General Counsel for an institution of this size.”
“Legal and compliance risks are notably absent from the Risk Register, despite claims and grievances being high according to Legal Counsel.” Laurentian also hired Danielle Vincent this month as the new university secretary, formally separating out the general counsel and university secretary roles, both of which had been filled by Sara Kunto until she left the university in 2021.