Family's lawsuit seeks more than $1M in Saskatoon nightclub death

The family of a woman who died following an altercation in a Saskatoon nightclub has launched a lawsuit against the woman accused in her death, as well as the owners of the bar where she died and a person who allegedly filmed her final moments and later shared the video online.

In November, Hodan Hashi, 23, died after an altercation with 22-year-old Paige Theriault-Fisher — who stands accused of manslaughter in her death. Graphic video of Hashi's death was shared widely on social media in the days that followed.

A wide-reaching statement of claim filed on behalf of Hashi's family, seeks general damages from Theriault-Fisher in excess of $1 million, plus an additional $60,000 for the distress Hashi's death has caused her loved ones.

The suit alleges Theriault-Fisher assaulted Hashi "with the intention of causing her to suffer grievous bodily injury or death."

The claim filed by Saskatoon lawyer Nicholas Stooshinoff on behalf of Hashi's family also names CYFJ Holdings, which owns the Crazy Cactus and its associated bar LIT Nightclub — where Hashi died during the early morning hours of Nov. 5.

It argues that the nightclub owners owed a "duty of care" to Hashi and that there was an expectation that patrons would be kept "safe from harm and assaults."

Additionally, the suit specifically names the DJ who was working that evening, alleging that he "encouraged and fostered" an escalation of violence.

The claim also is seeking damages from the still unknown promoter who planned the event, identified only as "John Doe" in the statement of claim.

The amount of damages owed by the nightclub's operator, the DJ working that evening and the promoter behind the event would be determined at trial if the lawsuit is successful.

The claim also seeks at least $100,000 in damages from the individual alleged to have recorded Hashi's death and shared the footage online.

"In an effort to obtain social media notoriety or quasi-fame, the defendant … deliberately and intentionally posted the footage online," the suit says.

In an interview with CTV News on Friday, Stooshinoff called the recording and sharing of video showing Hashi's death a "disgusting thing to have done."

"The horror of having a video circulated on social media with your loved one in her death throes, bleeding out, is an appalling thing to have to know is out there," Stooshinoff said.

"People have to understand how their actions touched the lives of so many others. We want that to be well known," he said.

Stooshinoff said Hashi's family has suffered an enormous amount of "grief and hurt" and although Theriault-Fisher's criminal matter is still in its early stages, he and the family felt it was important to launch civil action.

"Sometimes criminal proceedings can take years and it is simply not right to have this family linger in a dark hole of not knowing what is happening and what will happen and to wait for justice to be brought about," Stooshinoff said.

The statement of claim was filed at Court of King's Bench in Saskatoon in early February. No statements of defence had been filed as of Friday morning. 

In an email sent in response to a CTV News inquiry, Theriault-Fisher's attorney Sharon Fox said she has received and reviewed the statement of claim.

"Ms. Theriault-Fisher vehemently denies the assertions set out in the statement of claim — specifically that she assaulted the deceased," Fox said.

"We have been instructed to vigorously defend this ill-conceived legal action and stand by our previous comments that Ms. Theriault-Fisher’s actions were justifiable at law as self-defence," Fox said.