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Human Rights & Conflict Resolution Office

Human rights-based harassment

Human rights-based harassment refers to behaviour occurring in one of the areas of jurisdiction covered by the Human Rights Code, and arising out of any of the enumerated grounds.
 
This type of harassment includes behaviours which would be considered by a reasonable person to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for work, study and other university-related activities.
 
Human rights-based harassment refers either to direct or indirect behaviour and includes comments, remarks, gestures, or other conduct that is unwelcome to the recipient.

Examples of human rights-based harassment

  • Intimidation or threats motivated by a protected ground of discrimination
  • Staring at, mocking, or belittling someone because of a physical or mental disability
  • Obscene graffiti or sexualized jokes
  • Practical jokes that are offensive to an individual based on any of the protected grounds of discrimination
  • Display or distribution of racist or offensive pictures or materials
  • Any actions that could be perceived as exhibiting offensive or demeaning treatment toward an individual or group based on grounds protected under the Human Rights Code
  • Derogatory remarks, innuendoes or taunts about a person's body, dress, physical appearance or beliefs based on a protected ground of discrimination
  • Derogatory comments, threats or jeers about race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, or about the adornments and rituals associated with cultural or religious practices
  • Racist jokes and ethnic slurs
  • Derogatory comments about one's gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, or marital status
  • Discriminatory comments about a person's age

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