Parties settle, multimillion dollar Rootenberg lawsuit dismissed

Former Sault MPP David Orazietti, Mayor Christian Provenzano and others were accused of leaking information to SooToday and other media outlets. The lawsuit has now been dismissed

Dr. Kim Barker (seated left) resigned January 21, 2015 as chief executive officer and medical officer of health at Algoma Public Health, following media reports disclosing Shaun Rootenberg's criminal past

Shaun Rootenberg's $8.2 million slander suit against Algoma Public Health and the City of Sault Ste. Marie has been dismissed after all parties reached a settlement.

Rootenberg made headlines in January 2015 after he appeared before City Council as part of a group seeking to develop the Gateway lands.

Within days, the city had advised the developer that it wanted nothing to do with any company involving Rootenberg, who once did time at Correctional Service Canada’s Beaver Creek Institution in Gravenhurst for multiple counts of fraud.

Within a week, Dr. Kim Barker had resigned as chief executive officer and medical officer of health at Algoma Public Health, following media reports that Rootenberg had served six months in 2014 as APH's interim chief financial officer under the alias Shaun Rothberg.

Rootenberg's civil suit sought more than $7.5 million in damages from the city and APH for alleged defamation, negligence, negligent misrepresentation injurious falsehood and lost business opportunities.

It also asked for $750,000 in punitive, aggravated and exemplary damages.

The lawsuit was dismissed in Ontario's Superior Court of Justice last month in Toronto.

No costs were awarded.

Rootenberg's lawsuit maintained he provided exemplary service at APH, but alleged statements made to media representatives were "false, untrue, unsubstantiated, misleading and malicious," holding him up to "scrutiny, ridicule, humiliation to both his business partners, colleagues and associates."

Rootenberg maintained these actions exposed him to loss of employment and undue stress and hardship.

The suit accused former Sault MPP David Orazietti, Mayor Christian Provenzano, former APH board members and others of leaking information to SooToday and other media outlets.

Lawyers for Algoma Public Health obtained a court order requiring SooToday and CTV News North to provide their notes and unaired video footage as evidence in the proceedings.

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