OHRC Statement: No Room for Hate in Schools
As the school year begins, we must actively and intentionally work to end the scourges of hate and violence in our education systems and communities.
As the school year begins, we must actively and intentionally work to end the scourges of hate and violence in our education systems and communities.
TORONTO — The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has reached an important milestone with the release of its What We Heard Report on anti-Black racism in Ontario’s publicly-funded Education System.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has been inspired and encouraged to see communities honour the legacies of Black people and celebrate Black joy. Indeed, experiences, histories, and identities differ among Black communities, but common to their experiences are talent, skill, dignity, and excellence, which reflect Black joy.
On February 1, 2023, five Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers in British Columbia were charged with manslaughter and obstruction of justice in the 2017 death of Dale Culver, a member of Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan First Nations, and father of three children who was killed in custody.
The OHRC is deeply saddened over the death of Tyre Nichols, who was killed by five Memphis police officers. We stand with communities who have voiced their sorrow, anger, and frustration over his death.
The OHRC is aware the TDSB has taken a decision to end the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program. It recognizes your obligation as a duty-holder to protect the safety of students. However, to the extent that there are bona fide and legitimate reasons to seek external help, the OHRC reminds all parties that the discussion and decision should be informed by human rights principles as set out in the Ontario Human Rights Code (the Code).
As Kingsville Council moves forward in its review of the proposed draft Official Plan Amendments and draft Zoning By-Law Amendments, the OHRC urges Council to make decisions that are consistent with the Code and support the dignity and well-being of all community members.
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) found that the Ontario Provincial Police discriminated based on race, colour and place of origin when it conducted a DNA sweep of migrant workers in a sexual assault investigation in Elgin County, Ontario in 2013.
The OHRC believes the Peel District School Board’s Anti-Racism Policy is the most comprehensive such policy in Ontario, and may serve as a leading practice to inspire other Ontario school boards to create or revise anti-racism policies.
The OHRC understands that the Town of Kingsville’s study, Kingsville Temporary Foreign Worker – Final Report, has now been completed and will be discussed by Council on Monday June 27, 2022. Upon reviewing the study and the proposed recommendations, the OHRC is very concerned that the recommendations would, if implemented, continue to create discriminatory barriers to migrant workers living as full members of the Kingsville community.