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 Faith-Based Group To Appeal Human Rights
Ruling
by The Canadian Press
Posted: May 8, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET
(Toronto, Ontario) A provincially funded Christian group
says it will appeal
part of a tribunal ruling that found it violated the rights of a worker who was
forced to quit after revealing she was gay.
Ontario's Human Rights Tribunal recently ordered Kitchener-based Christian
Horizons to compensate former employee Connie Heintz and to end a prohibitive
code-of-conduct contract for its 2,500 employees.
The contract, which all staff were required to sign, forbids employees from
engaging in certain behaviors that go against the group's religious beliefs,
such as adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality and
``endorsing'' alcohol or cigarettes.
The tribunal concluded in its April 15 ruling that the policy violates the
basic human rights of the organization's workers.
Christian Horizons, the largest community living service provider in Ontario,
said in a May 2 letter to the government that it will no longer require
employees to sign the agreement, but it will appeal the rest of the tribunal's
ruling.
The ruling also ordered Christian Horizons to launch basic human rights
training for all employees, and to adopt anti-discrimination and anti-harassment
policies.
The evangelical organization is funded almost entirely by the province,
receiving about $75 million each year. It operates more than 180 residential
homes for people with developmental disabilities and provides support and
services to about 1,400 people.
The tribunal has had to deal with a complaint against Christian Horizons
before. In 1992, the Human Rights Board of Inquiry _ the tribunal's predecessor
_ ruled that two women fired by the group for being in common-law relationships
should be paid $65,000.
Opposition parties have called on the province to consider pulling funding
from the group if it continues to impose its religious beliefs on its employees.
Getting rid of a discriminatory policy without addressing the underlying
issues just isn't good enough, said NDP Leader Howard Hampton.
``The province should not be funding organizations who are not prepared to
comply with the human rights laws of Ontario,'' he said.
``Not only does (the province) have a duty to ensure that abuse of those
human rights laws is not happening, there's also a responsibility to ensure that
where it has happened, that measures are put in place to ensure that the damage
is remedied.''
Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday he couldn't discuss the case because
the matter is currently under appeal.
Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur wouldn't discuss
the case either, but acknowledged ministry staff have spoken to Christian
Horizons about the tribunal's ruling.
``They know that in order to continue their relationship with the government
of Ontario, they have to comply with all the legislation, including human rights
law,'' she said.
©365Gay.com 2008
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