Human Rights Support

The United Nations defines human rights as “rights we have simply because we exist as human beings - they are not granted by any state.” By this definition, human rights are universal; they are inherent to all of us in equal measure. We are all entitled to experience our inalienable human rights without any form of discrimination.

The Ontario Human Rights Code supports the principal of universal human rights through a series of prohibited grounds. Put simply, no one may be discriminated against based on:

• Age
• Ancestry, colour, race
• Citizenship
• Ethnic origin
• Place of origin
• Creed
• Disability
• Family status
• Marital status (including single status)
• Gender identity, gender expression
• Receipt of public assistance (in housing only)
• Record of offences (in employment only)
• Sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding)
• Sexual orientation.

It is the stated and implied understanding that all members of the Laurier community will uphold the dignity and rights of others by respecting the letter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Ontario Human Rights Code.

While respecting the letter of the Ontario Human Rights Code is a requirement of all students, faculty and staff at Laurier, we are also obliged to uphold the spirit of human rights in our day-to-day interactions with each other. A healthy, supportive and inclusive work and learning environment free from harassment and discrimination of any kind should be the experience of all university students, faculty and staff.

There is no substitute for a respectful, supportive and safe work or study environment that is free of harassment or threat of any kind. The security that comes with a healthy environment increases our productivity and contributes to our positive mental and physical wellbeing.

Unfortunately, harassment, in its many forms, takes place far too often. When it does, the impact may be experienced as mild irritation, right through to debilitating fear. The response is different from person to person. Regardless of one’s response, harassment is never acceptable in the workplace, the classroom or off-campus.

Broadly speaking, harassment falls into one of two general categories: personal harassment and sexual harassment.

Personal Harassment

Personal harassment typically involves unwelcome, repeated comments, actions or behaviour, but may also include a single, severe event. Examples of personal harassment may include:

• Demeaning, embarrassing or humiliating comments
• Intimidating or threatening comments or behaviour
• Deliberate ostracization or shunning
• In-person or cyber bullying
• Verbal, emotional or physical threats
• Inappropriate remarks or jokes about one’s appearance
• Spreading malicious rumours or gossip
• Psychological manipulation or abuse

Note that personal harassment does not include interpersonal conflict or disagreement. Nor does it include reasonable action taken by an employer or supervisor relating to the management of a workplace.

Sexual Harassment

As with personal harassment, sexual harassment is always unwelcome and always inappropriate. Examples of sexual harassment may include:

• Unwanted comments or gestures of a sexual nature
• Inappropriate touching or other physical contact
• Offering advancement or reward in exchange for sexual favours
• Displaying or sending sexually explicit messages or images
• Demeaning or threatening comments regarding sexual orientation or gender identity
• Unsolicited invitations to participate in behaviour of a sexual nature
• Negatively portraying a particular gender or promoting gender stereotypes

Sexual harassment may include unwanted, unwelcome sexual advances, but it does not necessarily constitute sexual violence. If, however, you have been impacted by gendered or sexual violence, our sexual violence support services are available to offer assistance.

Discrimination has taken place when someone has received differential treatment based on one or more of the prohibited grounds as defined by the Ontario Human Rights Code. Discrimination may be overt, it may be implied, or it may be systemically ingrained in practices or procedures that exclude or disadvantage a person or group of people.

Overt discrimination may take the form of an inappropriate comment, action or gesture that in some way demeans another person on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other of the prohibited grounds listed above.

Implied or subtle discrimination can be difficult to define or identify. A woman who is always tasked with taking meeting minutes, a person of colour being passed over for a promotion despite being fully qualified, a person repeatedly not invited out for drinks with colleagues after work, may all be examples of implied discrimination. Because there is no obvious context for the marginalization, it is much more difficult to confirm if an offence has taken place. The resulting mental toll of subtle discrimination can be even greater than overt misconduct.

Systemic discrimination is explained by the Ontario Human Rights Commission as, “patterns of behaviour, policies or practices that are part of the structures of an organization, and which create or perpetuate disadvantages for racialized persons.” In short, when organizational culture – even without intent – contributes to less favourable outcomes for those outside the majority group, systemic discrimination may be responsible.

Whether overt, subtle or systemic, discrimination in any form is inappropriate and unlawful.