By William Miller
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America
TORONTO, Canada – A Toronto woman was awarded $25,000 by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for racial abuse she suffered at the hands of her former employer. Cheryl Khan, a former employee at Lynx Trucking Transportation brought the suit claiming she was subjected to repeated racial slurs by the owner of the company Lynn Tompkins
Khan is a thirty-six year old single mother with two sons ages seven and fourteen. She was hired by Lynx Trucking and Transportation in 2007.
Khan, along with several other Lynx employees testified in front of the Human Rights Tribunal that during her employment Tompkins repeatedly referred to her as a “Paki.” Khan further testified that Tompkins would often refer to Khans two sons as “half nigger babies” and repeatedly told her “that’s what you get for sleeping with a black man.”
Khan also said that she was not the only person of South Asian decent to be ridiculed by Tompkins. Tompkins would often refer to truck drivers as stupid immigrants and would often ask if there were any good white people he could hire.
Khan’s employment with Lynx ended on January 30 after she took two days off to take care of her youngest son who had been hospitalized because doctors feared he might have liver cancer. After being fired Khan filed a Human Rights complaint.
Earlier this month Adjudicator Eric Whist found for Khan. In a written opinion Whist said “”Having weighed the evidence before me I find, on a balance (of) probabilities, that (Tompkins) did repeatedly use the terms “Paki” and “nigger” as well as making other offensive comments to the applicant that he knew would be unwelcome.”
Whist ordered Tompkins to pay Khan $25,000 for discrimination as well as $6,750 in lost wages. He further ordered Tompkins to create an anti harassment policy and to undergo sensitivity training.
Khan has since found new employment. Tompkins maintains his innocence and says that while he may have been a tough employer who yelled from time to time he never used racial slurs.
For more information, Please see:
Rediff – Canadian Employer Fined $25,000 for Racial Slur – 18 February 2010
Toronto Star – Racist Taunts Cost Boss $25000 – 17 Feb 2010
Vancouver Sun – Toronto Woman Awarded $25,000 After Boss Used Racial Epithets – 17 February 2010
