Board of Inquiry to Hear Alleged Consumer Racial Profiling Case

Parties to a human rights complaint are requesting a board of inquiry to resolve a racial discrimination complaint.

A Nova Scotia Human Rights inquiry will be held Friday, Feb. 22, at 9:30 a.m. in the Dartmouth Sportplex's Valardo Room. Board chair Walter Thompson will be the independent adjudicator.

The complainant, Dino Gilpin, Halifax, alleges the Alehouse, a pub in Halifax, denied him service because he is African Nova Scotian. Owners of the Alehouse say he was refused service because of a lack of proper identification.

The commission has recently completed a 1,200-person research study about consumer racial profiling in Nova Scotia and expects to provide this information to the inquiry.

"Clearly there has been no finding of fault at this stage," said commission director and CEO, David Shannon. "However, racism and racial profiling for any purpose can be symptomatic of more systemic problems.

"For this reason, it is important and in the public interest that complaints of this nature be fully examined."

A board of inquiry is the final stage of a human rights complaint.