VANCOUVER — British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal to expedite processing of complaint from group of Jewish teachers
A group of teachers says British Columbia’s Human Rights Tribunal has agreed to expedite the processing of an anti-Semitism complaint against their union as new allegations surface.
Vancouver-based labor lawyer Paul Pulver, who represents BC Teachers Against Antisemitism (BCTF), filed the suit this year for what he called the “erasure of Jewish and Zionist voices and opinions” within the BC Teachers’ Federation and in members’ workplaces.
The group claims the union has “ostracized” teachers either because they are Jewish or because they hold “currently unpopular views” about Jews, Israel or the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
Its initial complaint filed over the summer cites more than two dozen examples of alleged anti-Semitism caused or facilitated by the teachers union.
The BC Teachers’ Federation was not immediately available for comment.
Pulver said in a statement released Friday that another teacher joined the complaint after attending a professional development day in October, where she was forced to leave when she asked questions about the position. of the federation on the conflict in the Middle East.
He said the teacher, like others involved in the complaint, “no longer sees a path to fulfillment in her teaching career.”
“The harassment during the October event is another example of discrimination against teachers who disagree with how the BCTF promotes and encourages anti-Semitism,” the lawyer argued in the statement. .
“They are pleased that the Court has recognized the urgency of their concerns and look forward to reaching a resolution that meets their needs, as well as those of the students and families who depend on them.”
