Ontario’s Human Rights Commission joining sex-ed legal challenge
TORONTO — An interim sexual-education curriculum introduced by Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government discriminates against some students and puts them at greater risk of sexual violence, the province’s human rights commission said Tuesday as it joined a legal challenge of the document.
The interim curriculum, which replaces a modernized version drafted by the previous Liberal government in 2015, discriminates against students who are at the highest risk of exclusion, harassment and violence, the commission said.
“The Human Rights Commission believes that all students should see themselves and their families reflected in Ontario’s curriculum,” Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane said. “We’re concerned about the interim curriculum, in particular we believe it discriminates on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and gender expression.”
Six students’ families filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario in August, claiming the interim curriculum makes no mention of issues such as gender diversity or the rights of LGBTQ students.