B.C. nurse suspended, fined nearly $100,000 for defending female-only spaces
A B.C. nurse has been fined nearly $100,000 and will have her license suspended for one month as a punitive measure for her stance on protecting female-only spaces.
BC nurse Amy Hamm has been fined nearly $100,000 and will have her license suspended for one month as a punitive measure for her stance on protecting female-only spaces, such as washrooms, crisis centres, sporting events, and prisons.
The disciplinary panel of the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives suspended Amy Hamm’s nursing license for one month and has ordered her to pay $93,639.80 in legal costs.
“The College has chosen to punish me for statements that are not hateful, but truthful,” said Hamm in a statement released by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom on Thursday.
“I’m appealing because biological reality matters, and so does freedom of expression. I want to express my thanks to the thousands of Canadians who continue to fund my legal case through donations to the Justice Centre.”
Hamm had been previously promoted to be a nurse educator and worked in healthcare for over 13 years before becoming embroiled in a scandal over statements she made defending the right of women to access female-only spaces.
She co-sponsored a Vancouver billboard in 2020 that read, “I ♥ JK Rowling,” author of the Harry Potter series.
The message was in reference to Rowling’s support for women’s rights and desire to protect female-only spaces.
The billboard received complaints from a Vancouver city councillor and activists before ultimately being taken down.
Two formal complaints were subsequently filed with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives, accusing Hamm of transphobia and hate speech.
The College launched an investigation, which resulted in a 332-page report reviewing Hamm’s public statements between 2018 and 2021 on social media, podcasts and elsewhere.
According to the College’s Inquiry Committee, Hamm made “discriminatory and derogatory comments about transgender people while identifying as a nurse.”
Following over three weeks of hearings that spanned a year and a half, the disciplinary panel concluded that four of Hamm’s statements amounted to unprofessional conduct.
However, Hamm has appealed, and her case will now go to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
“In our view, the panel made a number of legal and factual errors that make the decision unsound, and we look forward to arguing these points before the B.C. Supreme Court. We are now considering whether to appeal the penalty decision as well,” said Hamm’s lawyer, Lisa Bildy.
“This decision effectively penalizes a nurse for expressing mainstream views aligned with science and common sense. The Panel’s ruling imposes a chilling effect on free expression for all regulated professionals.”
This is absolutely ridiculous! Kudos to her for standing up for what is right! Canada is so out of touch for what is right especially BC! Get back to biology only proving there are only two genders and for those who are confused seek mental health support to help them understand why they are not comfortable with themselves. Biological women only in washrooms, change rooms and especially women’s sports! The justice system is so out of touch. Plus this bullying must stop! Really she will be suspended and fined shame on the judge and the lawyer who are ruling against this! You should lose your right to practice law!
This is absolutely disgusting, if you have a penis and testicles you are male if you have a vagina and uterus you are female, it's pretty simple these WOKE ideologies are ridiculous. Women deserve their own spaces and don't need to be competing against men for washrooms or sports. I don't think any females are using men's washrooms or willingly competing against male athletes. This whole concept is a joke and needs to be abolished, and good for this nurse for free speech and using it to defend real women!