by The Cape Breton University Students’ Union has been ordered to pay 293-thousand dollars after losing a court battle with the Canadian Federation of Students.
The national student lobby group filed a lawsuit against the Students’ Union in 2009, accusing it of not following proper protocols in a referendum to withdraw from the federation.
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled in favour of the federation agreeing that the CBU referendum did not comply with its prevailing bylaws.
Student Union President Brandon Ellis says the total owed is estimated at $400,000 because the Union has also been ordered to pay legal fees.
He adds his group’s annual budget is about half a million dollars.
Ellis goes on to say that he’s very disappointed by the ruling and isn’t sure what the union’s next step will be.
He says if the Student Union is forced to fold the move could spell the loss of 80 jobs.