A Black man went to a convenience store in the early morning. Although he was a frequent customer, on this occasion, there was a new employee on duty. He was watched and followed as he walked around the store. When he went to the cashier with the items that he wanted to purchase, he was accused of stealing. He turned out his pockets in front of the store camera to show he did not take anything. The employee called him the n-word.
At mediation, the Centre negotiated an agreement requiring the store to:
- Train all staff to observe and uphold the Human Rights Code in the treatment of customers, particularly recognizing the dignity and worth of every person;
- Require all new employees in any store in Ontario to sign a new undertaking to respect and uphold the Code in all dealings with the public;
- Require all new employees to receive training/orientation on Code compliance before signing the undertaking.