The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal says the repeated use of a caste-based slur against a man at a company Christmas party amounts to discrimination.

The complainant, who Black Press Media is referring to by his initials M.B., moved to Canada from Punjab, India in 2000. He explained to the tribunal that his ancestry makes him part of a certain caste of people who have historically been treated as B次元官网网址渂eing outside the hierarchy of human order,B次元官网网址� and who continue to face mistreatment.

M.B. testified that as a child in India he was told he couldnB次元官网网址檛 use a playground and was chased and beaten by kids because of his caste. Another time, a friendB次元官网网址檚 parents told M.B. they would throw out the glass he drank out of after he left.

So, when two fellow taxi drivers at a 2018 staff Christmas party called M.B. by a casteist slur, M.B. says it had a strong impact on him.

B次元官网网址淸M.B.] provided evidence that he was not able to sleep for a couple of weeks after the staff party. He also found it very difficult to go to work and interact with his colleagues who had observed the events at the staff party because he felt insulted and humiliated in front of them and being around them reminded him of what had happened.B次元官网网址�

According to the tribunal, the two colleagues B次元官网网址� I.D. and A.D. B次元官网网址� called M.B. by the slur during the second of two fights that broke out between the three throughout the night. I.D. and A.D. were upset about being invited to the party on late notice B次元官网网址� something M.B. had some power over as a member of the taxi companyB次元官网网址檚 board of directors.

M.B. argued in his complaint that the two fights amounted to further discrimination, but tribunal member Sonya Pighin decided they were not initiated because of M.B.B次元官网网址檚 caste. Still, she said she took the use of physical violence into account when she determined the overall impact of the slurB次元官网网址檚 use on M.B.B次元官网网址檚 psychological well being.

A medical note shows M.B. was treated for bruises and abrasions to his head, right eye and the left side of his back.

B次元官网网址淸M.B. said] he experienced shock and embarrassment after each of the physical altercations, and feelings of insult, humiliation, embarrassment, worry, and death for at least a few weeks afterwards,B次元官网网址� Pighin wrote in her decision.

M.B. sought $35,000 in damages, but Pighin decided on $6,000, as well as $3,755.81 in compensation for reports and transcripts M.B. purchased to back his case.

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