A former director of a Norwegian outdoor adventure company says that if he and three of his former co-workers are forced to defend themselves at the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal against claims they discriminated against a woman because she was Christian, they could face threats from "radical religious groups."

The only one to respond of four Amaruk Wilderness Corp. employees named in the complaint, Christopher Fragassi-Bjornsen filed more than 350 pages in his defence with the tribunal. The document is not public, but some of his argument is referred to in a tribunal decision last week denying a request by the woman's lawyer to order the other three to swear affidavits in the case. The tribunal member instead ruled that they could be served the complaint via the e-mail accounts through which they communicated with the woman when they denied her application for a job with the company in Western Canada. The tribunal member noted that there is a chance the other three do not exist.

In his response, Mr. Fragassi-Bjornsen said he worries that if the names of the respondents are released, the men would face threats from "radical religious groups who may take offence to statements made."

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He said in his response that he and the other three are no longer working for the company and that the quasi-judicial body does not have the jurisdiction to force the Norway-based company to divulge a list of its employees.

The case was prompted by a complaint last October by Bethany Paquette, who alleges she was denied a guiding job because she was educated at Trinity Western University, a Christian school in Langley.

She names Amaruk and its employees Mr. Fragassi-Bjornsen, Olaf Amundsen, Dwayne Kenwood-Bjornsen, and Arkyn Borg, all of whom she says took part in a heated e-mail exchange with her after she applied.

She alleges that she was attacked in the e-mails over Trinity Western's policy of forbidding students from having sex outside of marriage. An e-mail released to the media last fall that Ms. Paquette's lawyer says is from Mr. Amundsen contains this quote: "Unlike Trinity Western University, we embrace diversity, and the right of people to sleep with or marry whoever they want, and this is reflected within some of our staff and management. In addition, the Norse background of most of the guys at the management level means that we are not a Christian organization, and most of us actually see Christianity as having destroyed our culture, tradition and way of life."

The company has said Ms. Paquette was not qualified for the job.

Geoffrey Trotter, Ms. Paquette's lawyer, said regardless of the identities of the other three respondents, the tribunal has served their e-mail addresses with notice of his client's complaint and they have until the end of June to respond.

"It's pretty unusual; I'm very curious if Mr. [Fragassi-Bjornsen] ever comes and testifies, then maybe we'll get some answers," Mr. Trotter said. "He has certainly claimed at times to be back in Norway, but there has also been some things that he has done where he has used a B.C. address, even since the complaint was filed."

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About two-thirds of the complaints the tribunal accepts each year are settled before a hearing, but Mr. Trotter said that is not an option in this case.

"The way in which Ms. Paquette was attacked was just so aggressive and objectionable that when we filed the human rights complaint, we did not offer an early settlement mediation [option]," he said.

The Globe and Mail was unable to reach Amaruk, Mr. Fragassi-Bjornsen or any of the three other respondents on Wednesday.

None of the allegations has been proven.

With files from The Canadian Press