BC Nurse Fired After Losing Discipline Hearing Over Comments on Gender Issues

Amy Hamm, a nurse from Vancouver, B.C., is seen in a file photo. British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) has recently dropped a charge accusing Hamm for making statements with “medically inaccurate information” while defending sex-based rights. Courtesy of Amy Hamm/JCCF

A B.C. nurse who recently lost a disciplinary hearing by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) has also lost her job.

Amy Hamm was accused of making “discriminatory and derogatory statements regarding transgender people” by the BCCNM involving comments Hamm made in podcasts, in videos, and on social media between 2018 and 2021. The nurse was also investigated by the college for helping a friend sponsor a billboard that said “I [love] JK Rowling” in support of the UK author, who has called for sex-based rights of women

In a March 13 decision, BCCNM said it found Hamm’s behaviour to equate to “unprofessional conduct.”

Hamm said in a statement to The Epoch Times on March 14 that she was shocked by the panel’s ruling. She said she was in disbelief that “speaking the truth” resulted in her being found guilty of “discriminatory and derogatory speech.”

She said that “no woman should be punished for standing up for our rights.”

On March 27, Hamm posted on the X platform that she had lost her job with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).

“I was just fired by [VCH] after 13 years of employment as a registered nurse, with no severance, because I know that men are not women,” she said in the post.

In a subsequent post, Hamm said she was heartbroken.

“Fired for the first time in my life, and I’m in my 40s. I’m heartbroken. But, as I’ve said before: I stand proudly in truth.”

VCH told The Epoch Times in an email that it had reviewed the BCCNM decision, and that it expects all staff to “adhere to the highest standards of conduct with respect to ethical and professional behaviour.”

The statement confirmed that the nurse was “no longer with the health authority.”

“Statements made by VCH staff in a personal capacity do not represent the views of the health authority, which is committed to creating safer spaces and providing affirming care for transgender, non-binary, two-spirit and gender diverse communities,” VCH said.

BCCNM Complaints

Following the disciplinary decision, the college said it considered the ruling to “be an important statement against discrimination.”

“Nurses and midwives occupy a position of trust and influence in our society,” BCCNM said in a statement on its website. “The college will continue to stand up against discrimination and believes it is a core aspect of our public protection mandate to ensure nurses uphold the important principle that the health care system is non-discriminatory.”

Hamm drew attention when she helped a friend sponsor the billboard in support of JK Rowling in 2020. It referred to the UK author’s public advocacy for female-only spaces, like prisons, restrooms, and sporting events. There were two complaints made to BCCNM about the billboard and Hamm’s role in erecting it.

An investigation was launched following the complaints, and the College’s inquiry committee produced a report that included Hamm’s social media posts and other online activity, which resulted in a disciplinary hearing.

The panel said it did not find all of Hamm’s comment unprofessional. The decision said that Hamm’s comments about there being only two sexes was not discriminatory. However, the panel said statements that a man cannot become a woman were discriminatory.

Hamm, who is a columnist for the National Post, wrote in a March 15 opinion piece that while the BCCNM said it was not interested in the “validity” of her beliefs, she didn’t believe it.

She notes in the column that the panel said in its decision that it “understands that the statement that there are only two sexes — male and female — is an oversimplification that does not align with current medical or biological understanding.”

Hamm also noted the panel said it agreed that it was “discriminatory and derogatory” to suggest that transgender individuals should not be in the same space as biological women.

She wrote that the statement showed the panel believed that to advocate for the protection of women’s spaces was “wrong, improper, and discriminatory for any regulated professional.”

Another hearing will be held to determine the penalty. Hamm could face suspension or cancellation of her nursing registration, according to the BCCNM website.

Hamm also has the option of appealing the decision to the British Columbia Supreme Court.

On March 21, Hamm said she had filed a human rights complaint over the discipline decision.