News Release
11/18/2018
Aurora, ON – The Human Rights Commissioner’s Office (HRCO) of York Region District School Board has launched a new public website to provide information about the office and to ensure the process for reporting a complaint is accessible.
The York Region District School Board community will have access to information about the office, the Board’s Human Rights Policy and other pertinent information relating to human rights and accessibility.
The HRCO was created in response to a growing awareness that a space was needed within the school board environment to effectively and proactively address issues of discrimination and harassment, specific to the Human Rights Code.
“This new website will play an important role in ensuring that our schools and workplaces are respectful learning and working environments for all members of our community,” said Corrie McBain, Chair of the Board. “Sharing this information and process publicly is part of our commitment to being open and transparent with our communities.”
“The Human Rights Commissioner’s Office is an essential keystone to ensure that our schools and workplaces are free of harassment and discrimination,” said Louise Sirisko, Director of Education. “Their new website will provide our communities with important human rights information and easy access to report complaints.”
“The launch of our website is a significant step in our commitment to effectively manage issues of Code-based discrimination and harassment impacting members of our community,” said Anthony Anirud, Human Rights Commissioner. “We are excited to collaborate with the members of our Board community to ensure that we can continue to learn and work in an educational community free of discrimination and harassment.”
The HRCO office is an arms-length department at York Region District School Board that supports all members of the Board community. Confidentiality governs all their interactions with the Board community.
York Region District School Board is the third largest school district in Ontario with over 124,000 students in 178 elementary schools and 33 secondary schools. York Region students consistently perform above average in provincial testing and the Board is one of the top achievers in Ontario. For more information about the York Region District School Board, please visit the Board website and follow @YRDSB on Twitter.
For more information contact:
Anthony Anirud
Human Rights Commissioner
Tel: 905-884-2046 Ext. 255
Email: human.rights@yrdsb.ca