A man accused of the manslaughter of a casino manager in Moncton has responded to a lawsuit by the man's family by alleging the manager is to blame for his own death.

Michael Thomas Glaspy, 51, of Riverview has been charged in connection with the death of Rodney Frenette. 

Frenette, the food and beverages manager at Casino New Brunswick, was assaulted March 4, 2023. The 56-year-old died in hospital March 28 last year.

Frenette's estate, widow and daughter are suing Glaspy. 

The case alleges Glaspy was a customer at the casino who consumed excessive alcohol or intoxicants. It alleges Glaspy hit Frenette, which led to him falling, hitting his head and to his later death.

Casino New Brunswick in Moncton's north end on April 4, 2023. The lawsuit, separate from the criminal case, contains allegations that have yet to be proven in court. (Gilles Landry/Radio-Canada)

Glaspy's lawyer, Alison Ménard, has filed a statement of defence in response to the lawsuit, which says Glaspy shouldn't be blamed for Frenette's death. 

"The Defendant claims and the fact is that the deceased Rodney Frenette responded to and interfered in a security situation at the Casino New Brunswick which was out of the realm and scope of his employment and training, thereby contributing to his own injuries and subsequent death," the document states.

A subsequent document describes security footage, saying Frenette confronted Glaspy instead of having security intervene. It says a "heated exchange" led to pushing and other staff intervening.

"The intervention of the bar staff caused the Defendant to fall forward, precipitating the backward fall of the alleged victim," the document states. "In the course of the fall, the alleged victim struck his head, causing serious injury to himself."

The lawsuit, separate from the criminal case, contains allegations that have yet to be proven in court. 

The statement of defence says the lawsuit against Glaspy is "replete with speculative statements not based in fact." 

It specifically says there are inaccurate claims about Glaspy having "martial arts and boxing training," failing to take medication "for his violent tendencies" and failing to avoid a gambling facility "when his gambling habits were known to have caused him aggravation and anger."

Glaspy's response asks the court to dismiss the case. 

Brian Murphy, a lawyer representing the family, did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Glaspy's trial on the criminal charge is scheduled to start May 13, 2025. He was released on bail pending trial.

The family of a Casino New Brunswick manager who died after being assaulted on the job are suing the alleged perpetrator and the company that owns the casino. 

Food and beverage manager Rodney Frenette, 56, was assaulted March 4 and died in hospital March 28. 

Michael Thomas Glaspy, 50, of Riverview has been charged with manslaughter. 

Frenette's estate, widow and daughter filed two separate lawsuits in Moncton court against Glaspy and the casino owner, Great Canadian Gaming (New Brunswick) Ltd.

The statements of claim say Frenette was working on March 4 when, "without warning," Glaspy struck Frenette in the face, causing him to fall backward and hit his head.

The statements say Frenette went unconscious and died "despite valiant medical efforts."

Rodney Frenette, 56, died March 28 in hospital after being assaulted while working at Casino New Brunswick in Moncton. (Submitted by Connie Frenette)

The lawsuits, separate from the criminal case, contain allegations that have yet to be proven in court. Statements of defence have yet to be filed. 

Gilles Lemieux, a defence lawyer representing Glaspy on the criminal charge, declined to comment Thursday.  

The case against Glaspy alleges he was a customer at the casino who had "consumed excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages and/or intoxicants," which left him unable to act appropriately.

It describes Glaspy as six feet four inches tall and 300 pounds, who used "excessive force" against the smaller Frenette.

"He failed to take into account his superior physical demeanour and martial arts and/or boxing training," the lawsuit says of Glaspy. 

It alleges he failed to take medications or follow treatment for his "violent tendencies," failed to avoid a gambling facility when his gambling habits were known to cause aggravation and anger, and failed to seek counselling to curb his "violent tendencies." 

The claim says Glaspy's actions caused Frenette's family to suffer. 

Brian Murphy is the lawyer who filed the cases on behalf of the family. 

In an interview, Murphy described Glaspy's alleged actions as a "violent sucker punch stroke that ended up, eventually, in Mr. Frenette dying and a tremendous loss to the family."

Case against casino alleges lack of security

The lawsuit against the casino company alleges it was negligent by failing to provide adequate security knowing, or ought to have known, that Glaspy was "a danger, was being served excessive alcohol, and had become unruly."

It says Frenette's duties didn't include security which should have dealt with Glaspy instead of Frenette.

Alternatively, the suit claims the casino was warned by Frenette and others of inadequate security and excessive serving of alcohol but took no measures to protect its staff and the public. 

CBC requested comment from Great Canadian Gaming on Thursday, but has yet to receive a response.

The cases do not specify how much money they are seeking from Glaspy or the company, leaving the determination of damages to the court.  

Glaspy is expected to appear in Moncton provincial court Friday for the criminal case. He has elected to be tried by a judge and jury.

A Riverview man accused of killing a Casino New Brunswick manager this year has opted for a trial by judge and jury.

Michael Thomas Glaspy, 50, faces a single manslaughter charge in connection with the March 28 death of Rodney Frenette. 

Frenette, the 56-year-old food and beverages manager at the casino, was assaulted on the job early on March 4 and later died in hospital.

Manslaughter is a homicide that's committed without intent, although there may have been an intention to cause harm.

Glaspy wasn't present in Moncton provincial court Friday.

Alison Ménard, a lawyer representing Glaspy, appeared on his behalf and told Judge Anne Richard that he is electing to be tried by a judge and jury in the Court of King's Bench. 

Rodney Frenette, 56, died March 28 in hospital after being assaulted while working at Casino New Brunswick in Moncton. (Submitted by Connie Frenette)

Ménard also requested a preliminary inquiry. The inquiry is held for a judge to hear the Crown's evidence and determine if it is sufficient to proceed to trial.

Ménard told the judge the hearing may take one to two weeks, but discussions with Crown prosecutors may result in a shorter length. 

The case is expected to return to court July 28 when dates for the preliminary inquiry will be set.

Police are investigating the death of a manager at Casino New Brunswick after he was assaulted on the job last month.

Cpl. Hans Ouellette, a spokesperson for RCMP in New Brunswick, said in a statement that the major crime unit is investigating the death of a 56-year-old Moncton man.

Ouellette said police were called to a location on Casino Drive for a reported assault at 12:50 a.m. on March 4.

The statement says a man was taken to hospital where he died on March 28.

Ouellette said a 50-year-old man from Riverview was arrested at the scene and released pending a future court appearance. 

The statement did not name the man who died, and Ouellette did not respond to followup questions.

                                                   Frenette, the food and beverages manager with the Great Canadian Gaming Corp., died March 28. (Ferguson Funeral Home)

A member of Rodney Frenette's family confirmed to Radio-Canada that Frenette died after being assaulted while working at the casino on March 4.

Frenette's obituary says he was a food and beverages manager at the Great Canadian Gaming Corp. overseeing two restaurants in Moncton. 

The corporation operates the casino. In an emailed statement, Kate Macdonald, general manager, said "Rodney was a dear colleague and friend to many in the Moncton community and we are devastated by his passing. Our focus at this time is to support his family and the Casino New Brunswick team."

"He loved his job and he cherished his wife and daughter and in turn, he was loved by many who will miss him dearly," his obituary says.

Laragh Dooley, a spokesperson for WorkSafeNB, said in an email that the organization carried out an inspection to ensure health and safety compliance but did not issue any orders. 

"This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the worker's family, friends and co-workers," Dooley wrote. 

Service Wednesday

A service for Frenette is scheduled to take place at the casino Wednesday afternoon.

A notice on the casino's Facebook page says its buffet will be delayed and the Hub City Pub will be closed in the afternoon "to allow our team members to attend the celebration of life for one of our beloved team members."

His obituary says he was born in Point La Nim in northern New Brunswick and was a technology buff who spent countless hours designing computer graphics as a hobby. 

It says his love of technology led to a fascination with Disney World, which he recently visited with his wife and daughter.