A woman who was fired from the Lester B. Pearson School Board after criticizing the chair is challenging her dismissal.

Speaking for the first time, Carol Mastantuono, told CTV about what has happened since she wrote a letter to the board one year ago complaining about the behaviour of Suanne Stein Day, the chair of the LBPSB.

That letter was co-signed by a more than a dozen people -- and it was the first of several ethics complaints lodged against Stein Day.

In it, Mastantuono said she mentioned "bullying, concerns of harassment, concerns of manners and ways she was conducting herself."

"These complaints were valid, they were 100 per cent true, and I knew that an independent, objective person would look at this and realize that it was unacceptable. I had no doubt that the ethics commissioner would find the chair guilty," said Mastantuono.

However, months after lodging the complaint, Mastantuono was suspended

"June comes around. All of a sudden I am called to the school board and suspended," she said.

Mastantuono said she was not given much explanation.

"They were investigating possible improprieties within the department," she said, adding they were not specific.

The board's ethics commissioner looked into Mastantuono's complaint, and subsequently found it was "well founded in fact, and in law."

However the board never punished Stein Day for that breach of its code of ethics, nor for two other lapses because the board has no power to do anything to any commissioner who breaks ethical rules.

Several days after the ethics commissioner's decision was made, Mastantuono was fired.

"I was shocked and horrified that I was going to be dismissed," said Mastantuono.

She said she tried to speak to the board but to no avail.

Mastantuono is now taking legal action. Her challenge of her dismissal is currently before the Quebec Labour Board.

Employment lawyer Jonathan L. Franklin said he has seen no proof that Mastantuono ever did anything wrong.

"An advantage in these cases to the employee, is it's the burden of evidence is on the employer to state that the termination is justified," said Franklin.

"We haven't been given any evidence of anything."

Mastantuono said the fight for her job is far from over.

"I've worked for the LBPSB for 27 years. I've put my blood, sweat, and tears into the school board and public education," said Mastantuono.

"I want my name cleared. I want my job back."

Nobody from the school board, including Stein Day, was willing to comment on Mastantuono's dismissal.

Stein Day told reporters Monday evening that she apologized for her breach of ethics, but was not going to resign.