Former TD Executive Sues After Dismissal for Christian Message in Signature

A former senior executive with TD Insurance has sued for more than $400,000 after the bank fired her following a dispute over a Christian message in her email signature, alleging wrongful dismissal and discrimination.

Sonja Denobrega alleged that TD treated her unfairly by requiring her to remove “I am HIS” and a cross symbol while allowing employees to include personal pronouns. TD denied discrimination and said it dismissed her for repeatedly refusing to follow its email signature standards despite warnings.

Her statement of claim seeks approximately $446,600 in specified monetary amounts, plus benefits, equity-based compensation, interest, costs, and other relief.

The parties presented their accounts in filings with the Ontario Superior Court in Toronto. Those filings contained allegations and responses, rather than court findings.

Denobrega joined TD on July 28, 2025, in a senior underwriting role with an annual base salary of $210,000. Her claim also listed bonus eligibility, equity-based compensation, pension participation, and benefits. She was 52 when TD terminated her employment on Jan. 8, 2026.

Her claim named TD Bank Group as the defendant. In its defence dated May 4, TD identified The Toronto-Dominion Bank as the proper defendant.

The Epoch Times contacted TD Bank and Denobrega for comment but did not hear back by deadline.

Dispute

According to Denobrega’s claim, the dispute began around November 2025 after a colleague raised concerns about another employee, Michelle Tamlin, including “I am HIS” and a cross in her email signature.

Denobrega said she supported Tamlin, who was expressing her identity and showing support for Christians in Nigeria facing threats. She added the same message to her signature after learning that TD had asked Tamlin to remove it, according to her claim.

TD’s defence offered a different account of the original complaint. The bank said it received a complaint around Oct. 31 about Tamlin’s signature, which included “Pronouns: I am HIS” and a cross.

The complaint raised concerns about TD’s branding and communication standards, and alleged that readers could perceive the wording as a “micro-aggression” against LGBT employees, TD said.

The bank said human resources determined that Tamlin’s signature breached its standards, even after she removed the word “pronouns.”

Denobrega said she questioned why TD allowed gender or sex identification in signatures but did not accommodate other identities. She asked human resources either to review every employee’s signature for compliance or permit other expressions of identity.

According to her claim, human resources declined to check every signature.

TD said its standards applied to all employees and it treated email signatures as business cards. They prohibited personal quotes, slogans, icons, images, and other statements, while permitting limited optional identifiers, including personal pronouns.

The bank said it addressed Denobrega’s concerns through a Dec. 16, 2025, email that explained the requirements to TD Insurance managers and directed them to ensure compliance by Jan. 5, 2026.

Warnings and Dismissal

Denobrega alleged that TD failed to warn her sufficiently about possible dismissal or give her an opportunity through progressive discipline to correct her conduct. She argued that dismissal was disproportionate and said she did not intend to jeopardize her employment.

TD said managers repeatedly instructed her to change her signature during December meetings, including one at which a senior vice-president gave her 24 hours to comply.

The bank also alleged that she objected to workplace pronouns, Pride initiatives, and mandatory diversity training concerning gender identity or sexual orientation. It alleged that she did not consider addressing people as “ma’am” or “sir,” regardless of their identity, disrespectful.

Denobrega described her concerns as objections to unequal treatment. She said she found fewer TD resources for Christians than for LGBT employees and questioned whether the bank applied its signature rules consistently.

Both filings described a Dec. 18 meeting followed by an unpaid suspension or leave. TD continued paying her previously scheduled vacation.

Denobrega said she offered to comply if TD answered her questions or escalated the matter to its chief executive. She said human resources told her it offered no appeal process for the suspension.

TD said it explicitly warned her that continued refusal would result in dismissal for cause without further payment. The bank said the leave gave her another opportunity to comply.

Following a Jan. 7, 2026, meeting, TD said it concluded that she would not amend her signature and dismissed her the next day.

The bank argued that her refusal to follow policies as a senior leader caused a loss of trust that irreparably damaged the employment relationship.

Compensation Claims

Denobrega seeks $210,000 representing 12 months’ pay in lieu of notice, approximately $25,333 in bonus compensation, and smaller amounts for allegedly unpaid vacation and holiday pay and a cellphone allowance.

She also seeks $105,000 in punitive, aggravated, or other damages and another $105,000 connected to alleged human rights violations.

She alleged that her religion and age partly motivated the dismissal. Her claim framed the human rights component as a breach of contract terms incorporating Canadian Human Rights Act protections.

TD denied that her protected characteristics influenced its decision and attributed the dismissal to her deliberate refusal to comply with neutral workplace requirements. It also disputed the court’s jurisdiction to award damages under the Act.

Denobrega challenged her contract’s termination provisions and employment restrictions and seeks back pay with the option of reinstatement.

TD defended the contract’s enforceability, denied owing further compensation, and said it paid all outstanding earned wages and vacation pay.

The bank also seeks to recover a $20,000 one-time cash award, arguing that her contract required repayment following dismissal for cause before the first anniversary of its payment.

TD asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit and award it costs.