After receiving a large volume of complaints B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has set the record straight about the rights of people who refuse to wear masks.

People who report being told to wear a mask as discrimination must be ready to verify the disability that prevents them from doing so.

Tribunal member Steven Adamson wrote in a screening decision Wednesday, B.C.sa国际传媒檚 Human Rights Code sa国际传媒渙nly protects people from discrimination based on certain personal characteristics.sa国际传媒�

He said it doesnsa国际传媒檛 apply to those who refuse to wear a mask sa国际传媒渂ecause they believe wearing a mask is sa国际传媒榩ointlesssa国际传媒� or because they disagree that wearing masks helps to protect the public during the pandemic.sa国际传媒�

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This, in response to a grocery store customer who filed a human rights complaint after a security guard asked her to wear a mask on Sept. 28.

At the time, the provincesa国际传媒檚 mask mandate was not yet in effect.

The woman refused to disclose why she would not wear a mask, other than claiming they cause sa国际传媒渂reathing difficultiessa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒渁nxiety.sa国际传媒�

The grocery store stood firm on its mask-wearing policy. The woman left the store, alleging she heard employees call the measure a sa国际传媒渉oax.sa国际传媒�

Adamson has dismissed the complaint.

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Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the tribunal has received sa国际传媒渁 large numbersa国际传媒� of mask-wearing complaints.

B.C.sa国际传媒檚 Office of the Human Rights Commissioner advises, sa国际传媒渋f a person claims a mask exception, take them at their word. Proof should not be required.sa国际传媒�

However, filing a human rights complaint is a different matter, Adamson said. It requires evidence.

sa国际传媒淎ny claim of disability discrimination arising from a requirement to wear a mask must begin by establishing that the complainant has a disability that interferes with their ability to wear the mask.sa国际传媒�

The tribunal has not yet defined the scope of medical information a customer should be required to reveal in order to be exempt from wearing a mask.

Adamson said a future ruling will likely provide more clarification on that matter.

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sarah.grochowski@bpdigital.ca
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