ON human rights tribunal rules TVDSB discriminated against Indigenous teacher

Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal has ruled that the Thames Valley District school board (TVDSB) discriminated against Indigenous teacher William Kenney. CBC reports that the tribunal reviewed incidents that involved a conflict between Kenney and another teacher over a technology preparation room. The other teacher used discriminatory language in his complaints about Kenney, and Kenny was ultimately transferred out of Parkside Collegiate Institute against his will in 2017. The school board was found to have not properly investigated the complaints about racial slurs against the teacher and to have punished him by forcing him to transfer to another school. The tribunal ruled that the school board must pay Kenney $20K in compensation and have its superintendents take provincial anti-racism training; the teacher who made the comments has also been fined $2,500 for breaching the ON Human Rights Code. London Free Press reports that TVDSB has said that it intends to appeal the decision.

Update: Thames Valley District School Board has dropped its appeal regarding a human rights ruling that the board discriminated against Indigenous teacher William Kenney. However, the board has reportedly notified the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation that it will fight a grievance from the teacher’s union. 

London Free Press (1) | CBC | London Free Press (2) | London Free Press (2)