A senior executive from Manitoba Public Insurance described a “Star Trek” themed licence plate with the word ASIMIL8 as “inappropriate” at a time when the work of Truth and Reconciliation Commission was being highlighted by the media.

Documents from a legal challenge show MPI’s vice-president Keith Ward expressed his concerns about the licence plate in an email to registrar of motor vehicles Carla Hocken in April 2017.

"We are considering serious disciplinary action for those who were involved and contributed to approving a plate that is so obviously inappropriate at a time when there was significant media coverage about the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, etc," Ward wrote.

"This is a very serious lack of judgment for those who were involved in doing the research and/or approving the plate for issue."

Winnipeg’s Nick Toller filed a legal challenge against MPI to get his personalized licence plate back, and the case is now moving through the court system.

Troller got the plate in 2015 with the word ASIMIL8, a short form of ‘assimilate, which is the slogan of a villainous Star Trek species called "The Borg."

According to a recent court filing reviewed by CTV News, the application for the plate was reviewed by a five-person committee. The word "asimil8" was also cross-referenced against an urban dictionary, and no concerns were noted. However, following a complaint in 2017 by an Ontario woman, the plate was recalled.

Court documents also show that after the woman filed the complaint, there were a number of emails from MPI executives trying to decipher how the plate was ever approved.

John Carpay from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is representing Troller. He says the case has implications for freedom of expression in Canada.

"Some people believe they have a right not to feel offended by somebody else’s expression," said Carpay. "And if you give in to that, and start to say we all have a right not to be offended, well then you have no free speech left. Because you never really know for sure what is going to be offensive to somebody else. So it gives everybody a veto power over their expression just by saying I'm offended."

Manitoba Public Insurance tells CTV News it's not able to comment on the case as it is currently before the courts. Troller's lawyers expect a date for a hearing to be set some time in 2019.

- With files from The Canadian Press’s Kelly Geraldine Malone