The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal recently found that an RCMP cadet was subject to racial discrimination which culminated in his dismissal from a police training program.
The cadet claimed that he was discriminated against and harassed from the outset of his training because of his religion, ethnic origin and race. One of the instructors took a particular disliking to him, he said, and embarked on a campaign of verbal abuse and humiliation. The cadet alleged that that instructor was responsible for negative and inaccurate performance reviews which resulted ultimately in the cadet’s dismissal from the program.
The RCMP denied the claims of discrimination, insisting that the cadet had been fairly evaluated and was dismissed only because he failed to meet required standards of performance. The Tribunal rejected these claims, though, finding that the cadet had been harassed and discriminated against as alleged. As a result of his treatment, the cadet’s performance was negatively affected, the Tribunal concluded, and he had not been able to demonstrate his true abilities during the training program.
The RCMP was ordered to offer the cadet an opportunity to enroll in the next available training program and to undertake a fair assessment of his skills. The RCMP was also ordered to introduce systemic remedies to address problems of discrimination in its training programs. The cadet was awarded compensation for lost salary and benefits, and various damages, including legal costs. The total award is expected to exceed $500,000.
Tahmourpour v. Royal Canadian Mounted Police, [2008] C.H.R.D. No. 10