VANCOUVER, BC: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that the disciplinary panel of the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (College) has suspended Amy Hamm’s nursing license for one month, starting when she returns to nursing, and has ordered her to pay $93,639.80 in legal costs for her statements defending the right of women to access female-only spaces.
Read the full penalty decision here.
Ms. Hamm had worked in healthcare for over 13 years and had been promoted to be a nurse educator.
In 2020, she co-sponsored a Vancouver billboard that read, “I ♥ JK Rowling,” referencing the author’s support for women’s rights and the right of women to access female-only spaces, such as washrooms, crisis centres, sporting events, and prisons.
Following complaints from activists and a Vancouver city councillor, the billboard was removed, and two formal complaints were filed with the College accusing Ms. Hamm of transphobia and hate speech.
The College launched an investigation that led to a 332-page report examining Ms. Hamm’s public statements between 2018 and 2021, including tweets, articles, and podcasts.
The College’s Inquiry Committee argued that Ms. Hamm had made discriminatory and derogatory comments about transgender people while identifying as a nurse. After 22 days of hearings spanning a year and a half, the College’s disciplinary panel ruled that four of her statements amounted to unprofessional conduct.
Ms. Hamm has already appealed the College’s finding of unprofessional conduct to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Her lawyer, Lisa Bildy, noted, “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 BC Supreme Court. We are now considering whether to appeal the penalty decision as well.”
“This decision effectively penalizes a nurse for expressing mainstream views aligned with science and common sense,” continued Ms. Bildy. “The Panel’s ruling imposes a chilling effect on free expression for all regulated professionals.”
Ms. Hamm said, “The College has chosen to punish me for statements that are not hateful, but truthful. 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.”
For media inquiries, please contact media@jccf.ca.
