Home / Crime and Justice / Judge Slams 'Cowardly' Statements in Jazz Fest Scandal
Judge Slams 'Cowardly' Statements in Jazz Fest Scandal
13 Mar
Summary
- Two ex-board members defamed festival director, judge ruled.
- Former director awarded $100,000 for damages and legal costs.
- False accusations ended his career in the arts community.
A Calgary judge has found two former board members of the Calgary Jazz Association, Richard Sherry and John Bell, liable for making "cowardly" and "defamatory" statements. Justice Colin Feasby ruled that the statements were issued to deflect blame for the 2010 Calgary Jazz Festival's cancellation.
Feasby ordered Sherry and Bell to pay Patrick Maiani, the former executive director, $100,000 in damages and legal costs. The judge found that the press release and media statements issued by the defendants falsely accused Maiani of financial mismanagement, thereby scapegoating him for the festival's demise.
The court determined that these untrue statements had a "devastating impact" on Maiani's career within Calgary's arts community, where he had been well-respected for 20 years. The judge also noted the defendants' "deplorable" conduct during the legal proceedings and their lack of remorse or apology.
