Religious harassment by company warranted award of damages to complainant

Paquette v. Amaruk Wilderness
2016 CarswellBC 555
British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal

Human rights --- What constitutes discrimination — Religion — Employment — Miscellaneous

Complainant alleged that respondents discriminated against her in employment on basis of ancestry, religion and political belief as against A and on basis of religion and political belief as against F — Complainant alleged that A refused to hire her for Assistant Guide Internship because she obtained her undergraduate degree from Trinity Western University (TWU) and that respondents engaged in harassment on basis of her religion — Complaint justified — Respondents' initial response to complainant's application incorporated two elements: that complainant did not meet minimum requirements for position advertised and taking issue with principles embraced by TWU and with Christianity on broad-brush basis, thereby implying that complainant's religious beliefs were factor in rejecting her application — Further correspondence expressly confirmed that religion was considered, stating that TWU followed religious beliefs that were not acceptable to employer — Correspondence constituted religious harassment of complainant.