HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL OF ONTARIO
B E T W E E N:
Karen Lynn McCombs
Applicant
-and-
Osprey Media Group, Jenni MacLean and Regina Paczkowski
Respondents
AND B E T W E E N:
Deborah Palermo
Applicant
-and-
Osprey Media Group, Jenni MacLean and Regina Paczkowski
Respondents
INTERIM DECISION
Adjudicator: Kaye Joachim
Indexed as: McCombs v. Osprey Media Group
Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
655 Bay Street, 14th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2A3
Phone (416) 314-8419 / Fax (416) 314-8743 / Toll free 1-866-598-0322
TTY (416) 314-2379 / (toll free) 1-800-424-1168
E-mail hrto.registrar-transition@ontario.ca
Website www.hrto.ca
[1] These are two Applications filed October 27, 2008 under section 53(3) of Part VI of the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, as amended (the “Code”). The respondents have not yet filed their Responses (Form B) which are due 35 days after they received the applicant’s Application (Form A).
[2] The Applications are briefly summarized as follows:
T-0159: The applicant is Karen McCombs. She alleges discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation by the respondents.
T-0160: The applicant is Deborah Palermo. She alleges discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation by the respondents.
3The Tribunal’s Rules for Applications under section 53(3) of the Code are to be interpreted and applied in a way that ensures a fair, just and highly expeditious process for the determination of these Applications.
4These Applications involve similar facts and appear to raise similar legal issues. Accordingly, I find, pursuant to Rules 1.1, 4.1 and 4.3 (m), that in order to ensure a fair, just and highly expeditious process for their resolution, these Applications should proceed together for the purposes of mediation.
5In order to assist in scheduling the mediation expeditiously, all parties are requested to provide the Registrar-Transition, within 10 days from the date of this decision, with a list of available dates for mediation in January 2009.
[6] I am not seized of these matters.
Dated at Toronto, this 10th day of November, 2008.
“Signed by”
Kaye Joachim
Alternate Chair