The Human Rights Office (HRO) supports YRSDB staff, parents/guardians, students and other community members in understanding their rights and responsibilities under Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Board's Human Rights Policy #240.
Ontario Human Rights Code
The Human Rights Code is law in Ontario and gives everyone equal rights and opportunities in certain areas of society. We refer to Ontario’s Human Rights Code as “the Code”.
The Code provides protection from discrimination and harassment in five areas of our lives (known as "social areas"), based on 17 protected grounds (known as Code grounds).
The Code provides protection from discrimination and harassment in the following social areas:
Services, goods and facilities - including schools (education), hospitals, shops, restaurants, sports and recreation organizations, and other facilities
Employment - including job postings, application forms, interviews, work assignments and environment, training, promotions, discipline, terminations, volunteer duties, etc.
Contracts - including both written and oral agreements
Membership in vocational associations and trade unions – including ETFO, OSSTF, CUPE 1734, CUPE 1194, etc.
Housing - including when buying, selling, renting, or being evicted from an apartment, condominium or house
The Code prohibits discrimination and harassment based on the following protected grounds. Visit our Human Rights Code page to learn more about each of these Code grounds.
- Age (18+)
- Ancestry
- Citizenship
- Colour
- Creed (religion)
- Disability
- Ethnic Origin
- Family Status
- Gender Expression
- Gender Identity
- Marital Status
- Place of Origin
- Race
- Sex (including pregnancy)
- Sexual orientation
- Receipt of public assistance (*housing only)
- Record of offences (*employment only; exceptions apply)
The Code also prohibits reprisal or threats of reprisal against any persons who assert their Code rights by voicing their concerns about a human rights violation or filing a human rights complaint.
Human Rights Policy #240
Policy and Procedure #240.0, Human Rights: Code-Related Harassment and Discrimination (Human Rights Policy #240) is aligned with the Code to support working and learning environments that are free of discrimination and harassment through a human rights complaints resolution process.
HRO Annual Report
The HRO Annual Report describes the important and ongoing work of the HRO in addressing human rights complaints in compliance with the Code and YRDSB Human Rights Policy #240, and in leading and supporting the YRDSB system through human rights training and professional development.