GUELPH – A review of human rights at the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) is set to be completed by lawyers Patrick Case and Julie Lassonde.
Board officials say the two respected human rights leaders will “conduct a comprehensive third-party review of the board’s application of human rights practices.”
The review is set to identify systemic barriers and promote human rights centred actions, the board stated in a press release posted to its website.
“The appointed reviewers bring extensive professional experience in advancing human rights and evaluating institutional policies,” the release states.
Public consultation
UGDSB chair Ralf Mesenbrink stated in the release that community engagement “is central to our ongoing efforts to advance human rights, and we encourage members of the UGDSB community to provide their feedback during the independent review process.”
Board officials did not provide information about how people could get involved with this consultation, but told the Advertiser “Mr. Case and Ms. Lassonde will determine how best to engage the community in their consultation process and that information will be announced, widely, in the coming weeks.”
When asked about the approximate cost of the review, officials said “it would be premature to provide a final cost estimate as the review is just getting underway.
“This will be provided as part of UGDSB’s annual financial process.”
The release states “The review will begin in the coming weeks,” but board officials did not respond to the Advertiser’s question about how long it is expected to take.
Patrick Case
Case is a human rights lawyer with experience reviewing human rights at school boards, including the Toronto, York Region and Peel District School Boards.
He is the director of the Osgoode Hall Law School’s certificate program in human rights theory and practice.
Case’s past roles include:
- assistant deputy minister for Ontario’s Ministry of Education;
- Ontario Human Rights commissioner;
- chair of Ontario’s Human Rights Legal Support Centre;
- director of the University of Guelph’s Human Rights and Equity Office;
- chair of Canadian Race Relations Foundation;
- co-chair of Court Challenges Program of Canada’s equality rights panel;
- former Toronto Board of Education equity advisor;
- former Toronto Board of Education trustee; and
- member of Minister of Education’s Toronto District School Board governance advisory panel.
Julie Lassonde
Lassonde is a social justice lawyer, Ontario Human Rights commissioner, board member of the Law Commission of Ontario, accredited mediator and
member of the Law Society of Ontario and the Barreau du Québec.
Last year, they received the Laura Legge Award from the Law Society of Ontario for leadership within the legal profession, including the areas of human rights, 2SLGBTQIA+ issues and intimate partner violence.
“Over the past few years, Lassonde has developed a business focused on social justice, in particular in the areas of harassment, discrimination and violence,” UGDSB officials state.
Her work has included training, research, mediation and legal work in public and non-profit sectors.
From 2023 until earlier this year they were a member of the Trans, Nonbinary, Two Spirit and Intersex People Committee of Franco-Queer.
