Record-Setting Damages Awarded By B.C. Human Rights Tribunal Following Racial Discrimination

• Published date: 21 May 2021
• Subject Matter: Employment and HR, Government, Public Sector, Discrimination, Disability & Sexual Harassment, Retirement, Superannuation & Pensions, Health & Safety, Human Rights
• Law Firm: Roper Greyell LLP ' Employment and Labour Lawyers
• Author: Ms Carrie Koperski

On January 28, 2021, the former Chair of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, Diana Juricevic, issued her decision respecting remedy after finding that the Government of British Columbia discriminated and retaliated against a corrections officer contrary to the B.C. Human Rights Code (the "Remedy Decision").

Background

The complainant, Levan Francis, had been employed as a corrections officer since 2000. He filed a human rights complaint on October 25, 2012 covering alleged incidents of racism over a period of 18 months from January 2012 until his departure from the workplace in July 2013. Mr. Francis alleged that the respondent did not take his reports of racism seriously, and that colleagues and supervisors targeted him further after they became aware of his human rights complaint. Mr. Francis did not work in any capacity after he ceased working as a corrections officer, and suffered a serious mental illness which disabled him from working in any occupation.

In its July 4, 2019 decision in Francis v. B.C. Ministry of Justice (No. 3), 2019 BCHRT...