Human Rights Tribunal Dismisses Complaint Against DSBN 

 The District School Board of Niagara is welcoming a decision by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) to dismiss a complaint filed against the Board by a Grimsby resident. The complainant had alleged that the continued operation of Eden High School and the DSBN’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity infringed upon his rights.   

The decision, released on February 18, determined the complainant did not have standing to bring his application before the Tribunal. In his decision, Vice-Chair Douglas Sanderson wrote that “neither the operation of Eden nor the respondent's partnership with Habitat for Humanity affects him in a sufficiently concrete manner to put him in a place of standing.”   

To have standing to bring an application under section 34(1) of the Code, the applicant must allege that his or her rights have been infringed upon. Vice-Chair Sanderson went on to state the “applicant effectively seeks to complain about alleged activities to which he objects, but that do not involve him.”  

“The Code permits individuals to enforce their own human rights, not to complain about matters occurring in their communities that do not involve them,” wrote Sanderson.  

Sue Barnett, Chair of the DSBN Board of Trustees, said the Board is satisfied with the Tribunal’s decision. “We are pleased to have this matter resolved. The DSBN is committed to providing all students with an outstanding public education, and staff work very diligently to ensure that happens in a fair, equitable and inclusive fashion,” said Barnett.