Human Rights Complaint Against Valley School Board Upheld

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION--Human Rights Complaint Against Valley School Board Upheld

The Annapolis Valley Regional School Board has been ordered to pay $5,000 to a Kentville woman who says the board excluded her from a job interview because she is a woman.

The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission has also ordered the school board to seek sensitivity training for its staff and will work with the school board to review and update its workplace rights policies.

Brenda Daniels applied for the position of maintenance foreman with the school board in July 1999. In her complaint to the commission, she claimed that her gender excluded her from the competition.

The school board alleged that Ms. Daniels was not offered an interview because she lacked the qualifications they required. In particular, they said, her lack of supervisory experience excluded her from being considered for the job.

While ruling that the discrimination was likely unintentional, board chair Susan Ashley found that the school board had breached its own policies requiring fair and equitable treatment of job applicants.

"The complainant's cover letter and resume together would show that she was qualified for the position," Ms. Ashley wrote in her decision. She pointed out that similarly or less-qualified candidates were granted interviews.

Ms. Ashley has retained jurisdiction should other matters arise from the decision.

Boards of inquiry are the final stage in the human rights complaint process. They are independent, public hearings into complaints of discrimination.