Excuse the long e-mail but the situation is a little convoluted. I very much appreciate anyone's help.
The position was set to begin in May but the employer repudiated the contract in March. The basis for the repudiation according to the employer was based on the employee's sending two e-mails. According to the employer sending the e-mails constituted 'poor judgment'. THe employee's contract was terminated on the basis of 'poor judgment' in sending two emails.
Both emails were very polite. One email attempted to determine the source of the problem b/w the employer and employee. The relationship had been on extremely good terms and was on a first name basis before January. The employer send a christmans card and was effusive about the employees suitability for the firm.
After the hollidays, the employer did not answer the employee's emails regarding the processing of a VISA which was required for the employee to work in the firm. THe employer kept delaying providing the information and his secretary refused to respond. This continued for almost three weeks before the student took over the VISA issue on their own because time was running because the processing time for the VISA required up to 3 months and the student already had to push back the start date for the job because of the delay.
The employee wrote an email concerned about the problem and, instead of placing the employer on the spot, offered a potential explanation for the situation which related to a problem the employee was having with their Law school regarding a publicaton that was published against their copyright.
The situation was resolved in favour of the student. But the persons involved in the situation had contact information for the law firm and the name of the employer (this was provided by the student as part of a petition to have an extended exam graded (long story). It was a plausible situation that - given the months of harassment and the fact that it was resolved in the students favour - that the persons involved, who were on the petition committee to have the exam graded, might use the information to affect the students job opportunity.
The employer did not respond to the email - either positively or negatively.
10 days later the employer called the student at home, this was the first communication since the hollidays. The employer was agitated and stated that there was no contact b/w the school and the firm, that there was no form of contact by anyone and that the employer had been away on busines and could not respond to the email.
The employer wanted to end the conversation rudely and the student just asked that they be cordial to each other. The student did not care if there was or was not contact as long as the relationship was constructive.
The phone call was alarming given the employer's conduct, especially given the very positive relationship before the holliday's, and the student just sent an email to the employer confirming the contents of the phone conversation - i.e., that there had been no contact b/w the school and the firm and that the student understood that the employer had been away on business and could not answer the student's email.
The employer wrote a letter the same day firing the student for 'bad judgment' and also attributed to the student comments that did not occur during the phone converstation.
Can an employer breach your contract - before the start date of the job - for sending two polite e-mails. One wanting to establish positive relations in the firm, given that it was clear that the good relationship had soured for no apparent reason, and one confirming the content of the employer's phone call (due to the disturbing nature of the phone call).
I apologize for the length and I really appreciate if anyone had the patience to read it.

