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‘Canadian-style systemic racism’: Black public servants file suit against federal government
By Charelle Evelyn December 3, 2020
Proposed class-action lawsuit alleges Canada’s application of the Employment Equity Act violates the Charter equality rights of Black employees.
Nicholas Marcus Thompson, left, is one of the representative plaintiffs in a proposed class-action lawsuit against the federal government. Former senator Donald Oliver, middle, has long championed the idea of a new federal government Department of Diversity headed by a Black deputy minister, and before leaving politics former MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes, right, introduced a bill in the last Parliament to change the Employment Equity Act. Photograph courtesy of Twitter, The Hill Times file photograph and photograph by Andrew Meade
The Canadian government has failed to uphold the Charter rights of Black employees in the federal public service, shirking its responsibility to create discrimination- and harassment-free workplaces, and actively excluding Black bureaucrats, allege plaintiffs in a proposed class-action lawsuit.
Charelle EvelynCharelle Evelyn is a managing editor with The Hill Times.
Follow - cevelyn@hilltimes.com
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