Human rights tribunal dismisses northern Ont. man's complaint about pronoun use
In what appears to be a less-than-serious complaint, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has dismissed a complaint levied against the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit related to pronoun use.
The appeal "alleges discrimination with respect to disability, contrary to the Human Rights Code," the tribunal said in its decision.
"Specifically, the applicant alleged that the respondent discriminated against them when they did not choose to use their preferred pronouns of 'scab/retard.'"
The tribunal informed the man the complaint didn't seem to include any actual allegations of discrimination.
"The narrative setting out the incidents of alleged discrimination failed to identify any specific acts of discrimination within the meaning of the Code allegedly committed by the respondent," the tribunal said.
The use of personal pronouns has become more prevalent in recent years as ideas of gender have evolved. In March 2021, the tribunal awarded more than $30,000 to employees of a bar where the owner refused to use the they/them pronouns.
In this case, however, the tribunal said that simply claiming discrimination is not enough.
"To fall within the tribunal’s jurisdiction, an applicant must provide some factual basis beyond a bald assertion which links their ground(s) to the respondent’s actions and explains why they think that these actions are discriminatory in nature," the tribunal wrote in its decision.
"In the application, the applicant states that they wrote to the respondent regarding their policy on the use of pronouns, asking if they would refer to him as 'scab/retard' in a union context. The respondent declined to adopt these pronouns indicating that their 'organizational policies and procedures reflect the values of inclusive, safe and respectful language.'"
Read the full decision here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Maple Leafs eliminated from NHL playoffs with Game 7 OT loss to Bruins
Sheldon Keefe told his players hockey history would remember them one way or another.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
What a judge's gag order on Trump means in his hush money case
A gag order bars Trump from commenting publicly on witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the matter. The New York judge already has found that Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, repeatedly violated the order, fined him US$9,000 and warning that jail could follow if he doesn't comply.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Pro-Palestinian protesters at USC comply with school order to leave their encampment
Protesters left a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California early Sunday after they were surrounded by police and told they could face arrest if they didn’t go.
Israel says Hamas attacks a crossing point into Gaza, wounding 10 Israelis and forcing its closure
Hamas militants on Sunday attacked Israel's main crossing point for delivering humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, reportedly wounding several Israelis and prompting Israel to close the terminal.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc says
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.