The complainant, a black employee, alleged that his employer discriminated against him on the basis of race and colour when he was discharged for failing to protect store merchandise during a theft committed by an acquaintance.
The complainant argued that white employees involved in similar incidents received lesser discipline or were discharged only when actual theft or involvement was proven.
The Board of Inquiry dismissed the complaint, finding that the employer's security surveillance and disciplinary practices, while perhaps overzealous, were applied uniformly to all employees regardless of race.
The Board concluded there was no disparate treatment and therefore no breach of the Ontario Human Rights Code.
