BC massage school director who asked client if he was Muslim fined $12,000

The director of a massage school in northern British Columbia has been ordered to pay a Muslim man $12,000 after sending him an email before his appointment to confirm that he did not follow the Islamic faith.

Majid Shahadat, who booked the massage appointment in 2019, sought a reward of between $20,000 and $25,000 through the BC Human Rights Tribunal. He said he had faced discrimination before, but nothing to that level and it was shocking for him to hear, after 25 years in Canada, that “there were people with such strong, wrong views.”

In her January 10 decision – which was not publicly released until April 17 – tribunal member Devyn Cousineau said that as a result of the school principal’s discriminatory views, Shahadat was denied access to a service based on his religion, place of origin, descent and ancestry. colour.

She said she had no problem discovering that services were denied for reasons related to his religion, place of origin, ancestry and skin color.

“While his religion is clearly the primary issue, his experience cannot be separated from his identity as a brown Muslim man of Arab and Indian descent,” Cousineau wrote in her decision.

Shahadat had booked an appointment online for a lymphatic drainage massage at the Northern School of Massage in Fort St. John in 2019. He entered information about himself, including his phone number, email address and name, and received an appointment confirmation the same day.

But that evening, the school’s principal, Joyce Middleton, emailed Shahadat back to “confirm” that he did not adhere to the Islamic faith, “which, as you know, has developed a bad reputation for raping and murdering non-believers in Canada and elsewhere.’

“I apologize, no offense intended, but I have to be vigilant about my students as I am sure you will understand,” Middleton wrote.

Three days later, Middleton followed up in a second email to say that the school would not be accepting new male clients because the school “needed to protect our students, who at this time all happen to be girls.”

She then referred Shahadat to a male massage therapist.

When Middleton initially denied the agency, Cousineau said Middleton suspected Shahadat of being Muslim based solely on his name. That suspicion was confirmed after he filed the complaint.

Cousineau said that Middleton feared Shahadat for the sole reason that she perceived him as a Muslim man, and that through the tribunal process, Middleton “has continued to repeat the basis of those fears, which are rooted in insidious and harmful stereotypes about Muslim people.”

Part of Middleton’s “defense” included reliance on misinformation that appeared to come from far-right, anti-Muslim websites, Cousineau said, adding that it is “based on stereotypes and the vilification of all Muslim people, especially Muslim men.”

Middleton chose not to participate in the virtual hearing, instead asking the tribunal to consider a written statement.

Cousineau ordered Middleton to pay Shahadat $10,000 in compensation for the damage to his dignity and feelings. and self-respect, as well as $2,500 in inappropriate conduct fees.

The $2,500, Cousineau said, is because Middleton has had multiple opportunities to stop waging anti-Muslim defenses against Shahadat but “has nevertheless persisted and escalated to threatening severe legal action” against him.