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Backgrounder - Human Rights settlement reached with the Cadillac Fairview Corporation limited with respect to security in their shopping malls

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July 5, 2007

The Ontario Human Rights Commission has reached a settlement with a complainant and Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited in a complaint alleging racial discrimination.

The complainant claimed that while walking in the early morning hours through the Eaton Centre he was stopped by security guards, questioned, allegedly assaulted and then released with notification that he was banned from entering the mall in the future. The police were also called and the complainant was charged with failing to leave the premises. The charge was ultimately withdrawn. The complainant alleged that the reason the security guards stopped him was because he is an Aboriginal person.

As part of the settlement, Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited has agreed to:

  • Immediately remove the trespass ban against the complainant;
  • Use comprehensive training material and examinations to train its security officers and to ensure its officers comply with spirit and intent of the Human Rights Code (the “Code”);
  • Security officers must obtain a grade of 75% or higher on each of the examinations conducted in relation to the new training materials and be re-tested on an annual basis in order to work as a security officer with the Corporation;
  • Periodically review its training materials to ensure compliance with the Code; and
  • Amend its Code of Business Conduct adding “ancestry” as a prohibited ground of discrimination.

For more information, please visit the Commission’s Website at www.ohrc.on.ca and review the Commission’s Policy and Guidelines on Racism and Racial Discrimination.