What to know about lawsuits between URSU, UR Pride and Women’s Centre

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New court documents related to ongoing disputes between three organizations on the University of Regina campus show their legal battle is just beginning.

The U of R Students’ Union (URSU) has filed countersuits against both the Women’s Centre and UR Pride Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity in response to their separate lawsuits over URSU allegedly “withholding” student fees.

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URSU has also filed a lawsuit against the University of Regina over its decision in April to terminate the two parties’ fee collection agreement, and for 2025 fees that are allegedly unpaid.

The countersuits against the centres were filed alongside URSU’s statements of defence against the original lawsuits. It’s the latest in a growing public dispute over the Women’s Centre and UR Pride’s compliance with their respective service agreements — a conflict which has now escalated to Saskatchewan’s court system.

UR Pride filed a statement of claim against URSU at the end of February, followed by the Women’s Centre claim in March.

In both statements of defence, URSU “denies every allegation” made by the centres and states that, on the basis of their alleged non-compliance, URSU “was, and is, not required to make any payment” to either organization.

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URSU’s counterclaims insist that it paid student levies to both centres from 2022 to 2024 despite the two groups being non-compliant with their respective service agreements.

The claims also deny that the centres have experienced any damages as a result of the alleged missing funds, instead asserting that it is URSU which has suffered financial, legal and reputational damages that caused the students’ union to be “unable to meet its obligations.”

URSU wants the centres’ claims to be dismissed, with costs. It’s also asking for the alleged funds paid by URSU to be reimbursed by both centres and for the court to award additional punitive and aggravated damages, interest and legal costs — matching the conditions of the centres’ lawsuits.

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None of the allegations made by any involved parties have been proven in court.

The players involved

The Women’s Centre provides study space, counselling, connective supports and bursaries to U of R students, in addition to planning events and doing advocacy work on the topic of women’s rights.

UR Pride provides similar supports, programming and advocacy for the wider LGBTQ+ community in southern Saskatchewan, not just for students on campus.

The two centres rent space and operate through service agreements with URSU, but do so independently.

Both receive the bulk of their operational funding from U of R student fees, collected each semester by the university and then handed down to URSU for dispersal to the separate centres.

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Outside of court

The two centres have been clashing with URSU over fees since last year. The situation escalated at the end of 2024 when the Women’s Centre and UR Pride spoke out against an attempt by URSU’s board to “defund” them by agreeing to hold student referendums on whether to cease the distribution of fees to each centre.

Those proposed referendums have since been put on hold.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Centre’s annual general meeting was disrupted by vocal students on March 14, prompting an early end to the AGM and an investigation by the university. A subsequent AGM went ahead without further disruption on April 16, taking place under the watchful eye of the Regina Police Service and campus protective services.

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URSU has denied any involvement in the incident.

The U of R eventually severed its fee agreement with the union — effective this coming August — due to “lost confidence in URSU’s ability to serve and represent” its students. The university cited concerns with a $1.36-million deficit outlined in URSU’s 2023-24 audit.

U of R president Jeff Keshen has said the university will continue to directly support student centres and services in the aftermath.

Both centres’ legal cases were filed with Regina’s courts prior to that announcement.

URSU v. U of R

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The latest in the saga is a lawsuit from URSU against the U of R for its decision to terminate the standing fee collection agreement.

URSU alleges the university has not delivered any student fees since Jan. 1, 2025 and did not provide the required 90-day notice in writing, which makes the fees “wrongfully withheld” per the collection agreement.

The claim says this equates to a breach of trust, a breach of contract and “unjust enrichment” by the university, thus causing “irreparable damage” to URSU’s existence.

It further states the justification of “lost confidence” from the U of R for its termination of the fee agreement is “vague, unsubstantiated and denied.”

“As a result of the University’s action, URSU has suffered and continues to suffer financial loss, including the ability to fund essential student services,” reads the document.

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URSU is seeking a legal order for the U of R to deliver the funds it alleges are unpaid, and to continue remitting student fees per the standing agreement. It’s also seeking damages and legal costs as a result of purported harm caused.

The claim says URSU has “no other significant funding source” and will “cease to continue operation in the very near future” if the funds are not delivered.

The U of R did not immediately file any responding documents to the claim.

The fees are also mentioned in URSU’s responses to the Women’s Centre and UR Pride’s legal actions, noting that URSU could not have paid either centre the fees that it says have not been received from the university.

UR Pride vs. URSU

UR Pride’s statement of claim alleges URSU “withheld” its funding from January 2024 until the winter 2025 semester, despite ongoing attempts to negotiate the funds’ release since spring 2024.

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UR Pride’s statement acknowledges the organization did not have financial statements or an audit for the 2022-23 fiscal year, putting it in violation of the service agreement.

It further states, however, that the centre had returned into compliance as of December 2024, and URSU’s alleged withholding of the payable fees is a “breach of duties” per its constitution and UR Pride’s service agreement.

UR Pride also alleges URSU did not give “proper notice” before withholding fees in January of 2024, and “suspects that URSU converted the withheld levy for its own use and benefit.”

It further claims that URSU’s refusal to provide the funds or any accounting documents, plus a September motion to hold a referendum on collection of UR Pride’s fees, “were made in bad faith.”

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“URSU putting forward a motion to defund UR Pride is a direct attempt to hinder or cease the work of UR Pride,” reads the claim.

UR Pride alleges the monetary losses have caused significant operational risk to the centre, causing service and staff cutbacks as well as reputational harm.

The statement of claim does not estimate the amount of fees alleged to be owed, but seeks both the fees and additional damages in a value to be determined by the courts.

UR Pride is also seeking an interlocutory injunction — or court order — to block URSU from terminating its agreement with UR Pride while this legal action is open, and requiring URSU to provide proof of the withheld funds.

Women’s Centre vs. URSU

The Women’s Centre claim reads similarly to UR Pride’s, alleging URSU has engaged in a “breach of its fiduciary duties” by not delivering student fees for the spring, summer and fall 2024 semesters, plus winter 2025.

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Unlike UR Pride, the Women’s Centre denies having been “inactive” or in a state of non-compliance during this time. URSU alleges the centre has been non-compliant from 2022 to 2024.

“At no point during the relevant period has the Women’s Centre failed to make its financial statements and governing documents available,” reads the claim. “The Women’s Centre also pleads that none of the specific concerns URSU raised would allow URSU to withhold funding.”

The centre’s filing estimates that the missing fees total a possible $200,000, based on previous years’ amounts, and alleges URSU has not provided any documentation indicating how much money was collected for each semester, despite requests.

“URSU has made no effort to demonstrate that the funds have been held separate and apart from URSU’s operating budget,” the claim adds.

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Both centres’ claims state that URSU has “acted in a high-handed, willful, wanton, reckless and oppressive manner in its conduct towards” the two groups while attempting to communicate on these matters.

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