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What’s more, he said, discrimination could not have been involved in the firing since all federal employees are subject to the same hard-and-fast rules about violence in the workplace.

But the labour relations board flatly rejected those ideas.

Perrault said the government should have considered mitigating circumstances in the case, such as Rahmani’s laudatory work record, his unblemished discipline file, the spontaneous nature of the act, and “a certain provocation” that led to the slap. She suggested Rahmani was angered by his new supervisor’s decision to “twist the knife” in an old wound.

When those factors are taken into account, she said, Rahmani deserved to be suspended, not fired.

The unjust decision to terminate Rahmani, Perrault said, amounted to an act of discrimination given the government’s wilful refusal to consider evidence about his mental health condition.

The slap occurred on the morning of Feb. 10, 2012.

The tribunal heard that Rahmani, a senior engineer in an office responsible for aircraft certification, had worked alongside another engineer, Patrick Desbiens, for years. Their relationship, harmonious at first, began to deteriorate in 2008.

The men traded insults. Desbiens said Rahmani accused him of incompetence and laziness; Rahmani said Desbiens made “surly and jealous” statements about him.

By 2009, Rahmani’s work environment had become so poisonous that he requested a transfer to another section, or a year’s unpaid leave. Those requests were refused, and Rahmani’s office relationships became more strained. During the next three years, Rahmani took several sick leaves, supported by medical certificates.