
Selling Indigenous-themed inventory may be discrimination: Ontario Human Rights Commission
New guidance by the Ontario Human Rights Commission on anti-Indigenous discrimination could spell trouble for retail businesses and lead to a chilling effect on speech according to some civil liberties advocates. The commission recently put out a “Combatting anti-Indigenous discrimination and ha

The commission recently put out a “Combatting anti-Indigenous discrimination and harassment in retail settings” notifying retail store owners that they could be held responsible for discrimination for how other customers react to Indigenous shoppers, stocking Indigenous-themed items that may be deemed “inappropriate” and providing “slow service.”
Recent Ontario Human Rights Commission guidance on anti-Indigenous discrimination in retail settings places a legal obligation on retailers to monitor and respond to the reaction of non-Indigenous customers. Not doing so may lead to a determination that the retailer has created a “poisonous environment.”
Best be ready to boot your non-indigenous customers.
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