The complainant, a male hairdresser, was refused employment at a beauty salon because the owners preferred to hire only women.
The owners justified this policy based on a past negative experience with a male employee, the unwillingness of current female staff to work with a man, and presumed customer preference for female hairdressers.
The Board of Inquiry found that the refusal to hire constituted sex discrimination.
The Board rejected the argument that co-worker or customer preferences could establish a bona fide occupational qualification under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
The respondents were ordered to pay $1,025 in compensation for lost wages and mental distress.
