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- calendar_today October 28, 2026
B.C. Human Rights Tribunal Rules in Favour of Fired Teacher
A Vancouver Island math teacher, Nazim Açar, has been awarded $115,000 by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal after it determined that his former employer, Lester B. Pearson College, discriminated against him on the basis of his political beliefs.
Background: Termination and Complaint
Açar, who is Kurdish from Turkey, served as a math teacher and a highly regarded 'houseparent' at Pearson College for a decade. In January 2020, he was first suspended and then dismissed following controversy surrounding his social media activity, particularly Facebook posts that were critical of the state of Israel. Açar filed a human rights complaint in 2021, asserting that the school’s actions constituted employment discrimination under Section 13 of the B.C. Human Rights Code, which protects employees from discrimination on various grounds, including political beliefs.
Tribunal Decision and Compensation
On October 21, 2026, tribunal member Devyn Cousineau issued the decision, agreeing that the college had discriminated against Açar due to his political expression. Cousineau emphasized that the school failed to explore alternatives to dismissal and did not provide evidence of prior concerns about Açar’s social media over his ten-year tenure. "The College made no efforts to accommodate Mr. Açar's political beliefs before terminating his employment," Cousineau stated, highlighting the lack of any college standard regulating teachers' social media content at that time.
Açar was awarded $94,322.25 for lost wages due to the discrimination, plus an additional $20,000 for injury to his dignity, feelings, and self-respect. While he also sought reinstatement to his former position, the tribunal found that returning to the role was not a viable option.
Origin of the Discrimination Complaint
The employment dispute began in 2019 after a 17-year-old Israeli student at Pearson College formally complained about Açar’s response to a conversation regarding the student’s future scholarship prospects. The student reported that Açar had remarked, "that will depend on how many Palestinians you kill!" An initial investigation determined the comment was inappropriate, resulting in a five-day suspension without pay for Açar, who was also required to complete a course.
Subsequently, when another teacher objected to this disciplinary action as too lenient, the school escalated its investigation by hiring lawyer and former MP and MLA Murray Rankin. Rankin found that Açar’s comment violated the school's Respectful Community Policy and noted that his Facebook posts could reasonably be perceived as hostile toward Israel, potentially impacting his treatment of Israeli students. However, Rankin also determined that there was no evidence that Açar held discriminatory beliefs against individual Israeli students.
Investigation Outcome and Aftermath
Despite Rankin’s recommendation for an additional three-day suspension and for Açar’s safe return to work, the school chose to terminate his employment instead. The tribunal concluded that Pearson College’s approach exceeded what was justified by the investigation and failed to reasonably accommodate Açar's rights as an employee.
Significance in Educational Institutions
The ruling underscores issues of employment discrimination, the handling of social media posts by staff, and the extent to which political beliefs are protected in educational institutions under employee rights and bc human rights legislation. The case may influence how schools and other organizations approach staff conduct and personal expression on social media moving forward.
Source: cbc.ca.
