VANCOUVER — A nurse in British Columbia has been suspended and fined nearly $94,000 for making what a disciplinary panel deemed "discriminatory and derogatory statements" about transgender individuals. The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives announced that Amy Hamm has received a one-month suspension and is required to pay the college's costs and disbursements within two years.

The disciplinary panel's verdict, issued in March, found that Hamm engaged in professional misconduct by posting statements on various online platforms from July 2018 to March 2021. These statements were said to be intended to "elicit fear, contempt and outrage against members of the transgender community."

Hamm has appealed the disciplinary order in the B.C. Supreme Court. The enforcement of the penalty and costs is currently on hold until the appeal is resolved. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which supports Hamm, stated that she was penalized for defending women's rights to access female-only spaces.

Hamm has over 13 years of experience in health care and has served as a nurse educator. Her lawyer, Lisa Bildy, expressed that they believe the panel made "legal and factual errors" in its decision, arguing that Hamm's comments reflect "mainstream views aligned with science and common sense."

In her statement, Hamm asserted that her comments are not hateful. "I’m appealing because biological reality matters, and so does freedom of expression," she said.

The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives emphasized that the decision serves as an "important statement against discrimination." The college noted that nurses and midwives hold a significant position of trust and influence in society. It reiterated its commitment to combat discrimination, stating that it is essential for nurses to uphold the principle that the health care system must be non-discriminatory.

This announcement follows the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms filing two complaints with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal nearly a month prior.