Police officer and police service found liable for racial discrimination during a shoplifting investigation.
The complainant, a Black woman, was detained by a store security guard for allegedly stealing a bra.
A Peel Regional Police officer was called to investigate.
During the investigation, the officer asked if the complainant spoke English, called her a 'fucking foreigner', threatened to take her to jail, and subjected her to a heightened and prolonged investigation despite weak evidence.
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found that the officer and the police service discriminated against the complainant on the basis of race in the provision of a service.
The Tribunal awarded $20,000 in general damages and ordered the police service to develop a specific anti-racial profiling directive and provide comprehensive training to its officers.
Ontario Human Rights Commission and Jacqueline Nassiah v. The Regional Municipality of Peel Services Board and Richard Elkington, 2007 HRTO 14
