Board Will Hear Physical Disability Complaint in Sydney

A human rights board of inquiry will consider a complaint by a Sydney woman that the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board failed to accommodate her physical disability.

Sue Anne Snow complained to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission that the school board turned down her requests to be assigned to a school in Sydney because her eyesight no longer permitted her to drive to work. Ms. Snow, employed as a teacher's aid since 1997, claims that board officials instead assigned her to St. Joseph's Elementary School in Sydney Mines based on her low ranking on the seniority list.

The independent board is being chaired by Peter Rogers and will begin hearings at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 6, in the Sydney Credit Union Board Room of Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Rd., Sydney.

The hearing is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, June 7, and Thursday, June 8.

A complaint is referred to an independent board of inquiry when the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission believes a prima facie case of discrimination is made after an investigation by a human rights officer. The chief judge of the provincial court selects a board chair from a roster and the commissioners ratify the nomination. The decision on the complaint is then in the hands of the independent board.

Evidence collected during investigation of a complaint is presented at the hearing by the commission's legal counsel. The complainant and respondent can make submissions and question witnesses. The board chair then decides whether discrimination has occurred.

All parties have a right to appeal decisions of boards of inquiry to the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.