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7 Hum. Rts. Dig. 1 (2006)

handle is hein.journals/hurtsdg7 and id is 1 raw text is: VOLUME 7 NUMBER 1

Human Rights Digest

January 2006

Decisions Noted

B.C. Discriminates Against Children
With Learning Disabilities..... 1

Rape Relief Can Refuse Post-
Operative Transsexual
W om an  .................
Crown Immunity Argument
Rejected  Again  ............
Tribunal Orders Backdating of
Seniority  .................

.5
.6
.7

Vancouver Police Board Responsible
for Compensation  .......... 8
Knights of Columbus Can Refuse
Hall to Same-Sex Couple ..... 9

$25,000 General Damages for
Sexual Harassment...... .

.9

Trances Were Accommodated . . 10

School District Can Discipline
Teacher for Homophobic
Comments  .............

.10

Inside Page ...................2
Briefly Noted ...............11
Legislative Notes.............12
Ordering.....................12

DISABILITY -discriminatory provision of
services and services denied on the basis of
a learning disability -  EDUCATION -
discriminatory treatment of disabled stu-
dent - school board discriminates on the
basis of disability - school board lacks
amenities for disabled students - funding
of public education - education defined
as a public service or facility - legislative
changes affecting special education pro-
grams
PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES -
definition of public services and facilities
and services - discriminatory treatment in
education and public school - REASON-
ABLE ACCOMMODATION - duty to
accommodate short of undue hardship -
definition of undue hardship - special
education program
DISCRIMINATION - definition of dis-
crimination - Law test (definition of hu-
man dignity) - Meiorin/Grismer test -
comparator group - bona fide justifica-
tion and cost to education system as rea-
sonable cause for discrimination - BUR-
DEN OF PROOF - onus on complainant
- SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION - defi-
nition of systemic discrimination - pat-
tern of conduct discriminatory on the basis
of disability
CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND
FREEDOMS -s. 15 (equality) - HUMAN
RIGHTS - definition of human dignity -
nature and purpose of human rights legis-
lation - principles used to interpret the
Charter applied to human rights legislation
JURISDICTION - court of competent
jurisdiction to order damages - BOARDS
OF INQUIRY / TRIBUNALS - authority
of tribunal to award damages against
government ministry and against school
board - DAMAGES - compensation for

expenses caused by contravention of hu-
man rights legislation - school fees - tu-
tor's fees - injury to dignity and self-
respect - REMEDIES - order for special
education program - systemic remedy -
LIABILITY - discriminatory provision of
services - liability of government ministry
The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ruled that
the B.C. Ministry of Education and North
Vancouver School District No. 44 discrimi-
nated against Jeffrey Patrick Moore and
other students with Severe Learning Disa-
bilities (SLD) by failing to accommodate
their needs in the public school system.
Jeffrey Moore was born in December
1986 and enrolled in kindergarten in Sep-
tember 1991 at Braemar Elementary School
in North Vancouver. While at Braemar he
was diagnosed as having a severe learning
disability, in the form of dyslexia, which in-
terfered with his ability to learn to read and
to comprehend words. Dyslexia is a lan-
guage-based disorder, perhaps neurologi-
cal in origin. Children with dyslexia usually
exhibit an inability to break words into
component sounds. Experts agree that
dyslexia cannot be cured, but can be reme-
diated. Early intensive intervention is es-
sential to ensuring that children with severe
forms of dyslexia have the best opportunity
to learn.
Jeffrey Moore was in school at Braemar
from kindergarten through Grade 3. At the
end of Grade 3, because Jeffrey was not re-
ceiving the assistance he needed, and on
the advice of District officials, Jeffrey's par-
ents removed him from the public school
system and sent him to private schools
which provide special assistance to stu-
dents with severe learning disabilities.
The Moores alleged that the Ministry
and District discriminated against Jeffrey
Moore individually and that they also

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