We are on the side of human rights! The Office of the Human Rights and Equity Advisor (O-HREA) is the OCDSB’s arm’s-length office committed to promoting and protecting the human rights of students, families, staff and the broader school community.
The Office of the Human Rights and Equity Advisor is established to address concerns under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the OCDSB Policy P.147.GOV Human Rights.
The Office of the Human Rights and Equity Advisor has two main goals:
- To act on human rights complaints confidentially, fairly, and promptly; and
- To provide leadership and advice within the OCDSB community to help people better understand their human rights and obligations, and prevent discrimination and harassment.
Related Links
Public Records
- First Annual Public Report (2020 - 2023)
- Policy and Practice Review of Police Involvement in Schools (2021)
Human Rights Reporting Form
Arm’s-Length
We address all human rights concerns and complaints in an impartial, independent and fair manner. The O-HREA operates at arm’s length and free from interference from all other administrative structures within the OCDSB.
Confidentiality
All communication with the Office of the Human Rights and Equity Advisor is private and confidential. The O-HREA is intended to be a safe and confidential space for all members of the OCDSB community to bring forward concerns related to discrimination and harassment or other human rights issues. We welcome any questions regarding privacy and confidentiality.
Resolution of Concerns
We address human rights concerns applying OCDSB policies and procedures as well as relevant legislation including the Ontario Human Rights Code. We apply principles of procedural fairness and consider policy guidance published by the Ontario Human Rights Commission during our process.
Investigations typically result in written findings and recommendations to remedy the human rights concern. The findings are shared with people impacted, subject to privacy protections, and system-level recommendations are shared with the Director of Education for consideration.
You can learn more by reading the OCDSB Human Rights policy.
*content on this page is adapted from the Human Rights Commissioner's Office webpage at York Region District School Board.