LONDON (September 29, 1994) - In a morning breakfast address to members of the London Chamber of Commerce, FP president Robert Metz warned them of their vulnerability to the policies of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (HRC) and of what their options would be if faced with a filed complaint against them.

"There is no clear policy to follow," said Metz, "since your own actions are no longer the criteria of whether you may or may not find yourself before an HRC Board of Inquiry. You will be charged on the basis of statistics, compared to others, and be forced to respond to accusations of 'systemic' discrimination, against which there is no objective defense."

Metz pointed to the irony that a person who is clearly "guilty" of the complaint against him will have a much easier time before an HRC Board of Inquiry than someone who considers him/herself innocent of the accusation in the complaint.

"The guilty can make deals with the HRC," Metz stated. "But if you're innocent then you're in trouble - that is, IF you intend to prove your innocence. It is at this point that you will be presented with a cost/benefit value judgement and you may well decide that it's 'cheaper' to plead guilty."

That is, of course, what the majority of people do when faced with an HRC complaint filed against them. Recognizing the powers and mandate of the HRC, which include its right to order anything as a punishment for failing to satisfy the complainant's concerns, most businesspeople give in, and that's precisely what the HRC counts on to expand its powers and authority.

While Metz's message was not particularly a reassuring one, Chamber members seemed to appreciate his warnings and a few of them related their own personal experiences with the HRC that helped reinforce his warnings. Our thanks is extended to David Lipson for his kind invitation to have Mr. Metz speak to Chamber members.

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