The 1990 Kirpan Case: Cultural Conflict and the Development of Equity Policy in the Peel District School Board
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THE 1990 KIRPAN CASE: CULTURAL CONFLICT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUITY POLICY IN THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD by Mary S. Martin A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Graduate Department of Theory and Policy Studies Ontario Institute of Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Mary S. Martin 2011 THE 1990 KIRPAN CASE: CULTURAL CONFLICT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUITY POLICY IN THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD Doctor of Education, 2011 Mary S. Martin Graduate Department of Theory and Policy Studies Ontario Institute of Studies in Education University of Toronto Abstract In 1990, a case came before the Ontario Human Rights Commission involving the collision of a religious rights policy enshrined in the Ontario Human Rights Code 1981 and a Peel Board of Education disciplinary policy prohibiting weapons including the kirpan, a dagger-like article of religious faith worn by baptized Sikhs. Harbhajan Singh Pandori claimed infringement of his religious rights as a Sikh under the Code. In a joint complaint, the Ontario Human Rights Commission alleged the Code had been violated in a Peel Board policy restricting the religious rights of Sikhs by prohibiting the kirpan. Attempts to mediate between complainant Sikhs and the Peel Board failed. The dispute went before an Ontario Human Rights Commission tribunal adjudicated by Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut who ruled that the kirpan was a religious symbol and could be worn to school subject to restrictions. The Pandori kirpan case illustrates the complexity of resolving issues of cultural and religious conflict in public institutions undergoing demographic change. Significant to the kirpan case were Canadian immigration policy changes which eliminated race and ethnicity from admission criteria. As a result, the Region of Peel witnessed significant intake of immigrants including Sikhs, some of whom insisted on their right to wear a kirpan. The extensive public debate that followed afforded valuable insight on the political process of policy-making in education and ii accommodating diversity in public educational institutions. The debate also set the stage for the development of the Peel Board’s equity policy documents-- Manifesting Encouraging and Respectful Environments and The Future We Want launched in 2000. Despite the new equity documents, some observers have remarked that institutional change is slow unless pressure is applied by the courts or the Ontario Human Rights Commission. While the kirpan issue has been put to rest in Canada, issues of competing rights continue to challenge Canadians. The kirpan case demonstrates that balancing competing rights in a multicultural society is an ongoing struggle with no final resolution. In the twenty-first century, as Canada continues to diversify, debates concerning accommodation continue to be reflected in the public schools. iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Harold Troper for his generosity in supervising this research. Dr. Troper offered constant encouragement and shared an infectious love of historical inquiry. This dissertation would not have been possible without his enthusiastic guidance. Thank you to Dr. Nina Bascia for her guidance in matters of educational policy and her willingness to share her knowledge and insights. Dr. Bascia contributed immensely to my understanding of policy. Thank you to Judge Marvin Zuker for his support in navigating the maze of education and law, and his interest in matters of religious accommodation in education. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. David Levine for serving as a member of my defense committee and for his inspired teaching of historiography. Thank you to my external examiner, Dr. James W. Walker for reading this dissertation and offering his insightful comments, questions and recommendations. Dr. Walker has broadened my thinking and encouraged further exploration of human rights issues. My father, Dmytro Pawlyszyn instilled a passion for education while struggling to support a family as an immigrant factory worker. My cousin-in-law Dr. Blaine Baker generously supported my efforts and shared his passion for legal history and education. My mother-in-law, Patricia Martin and sons-in-law, Dr. Josh Levinson and Wojciech Kostelecki supported me with their good humour and understanding. My daughters Seanna, Kristin and Jillian Martin are precious beyond words. I encourage them to pursue their unique interests in the years ahead. My husband Jim Martin encouraged this work, shared my enthusiasm, and provided unconditional support and wonderful vegan food every step of the way. iv Table of Contents Abstract........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................ iv Abbreviations................................................................................................................................ vii Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................................... 1 Education Policy: A Contested Process...................................................................................... 6 Balancing Competing Rights: Multiculturalism and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms ...... 14 Religious Diversity in Schools.................................................................................................. 18 Contributions............................................................................................................................. 22 Research Methodology ............................................................................................................. 24 Chapter 2: Immigration: An Incredible Explosion ....................................................................... 27 Immigration in the Region of Peel............................................................................................ 29 Peel: Three Distinct Communities............................................................................................ 34 Town of Caledon................................................................................................................... 35 City of Mississauga............................................................................................................... 36 City of Brampton .................................................................................................................. 37 History of Brampton. ........................................................................................................ 38 Murder at Brampton Centennial Secondary School ......................................................... 41 The Peel Board of Education .................................................................................................... 53 Chapter 3: The Kirpan: Religious Article or Knife?..................................................................... 70 District Court of Ontario........................................................................................................... 84 Why Don’t You Go Back to India? .......................................................................................... 93 Pandori and the Peel Board of Education ................................................................................. 96 Summer 1988............................................................................................................................ 99 The Peel Board of Education Conducts its Research on Kirpans........................................... 101 December 12, 1988: The `Peel Board of Education Meeting................................................. 110 The Peel Board of Education’s Decision................................................................................ 118 Chapter 4: The Kirpan: Prohibited Weapon or Catalyst for Equity Policy?............................... 125 Ongoing Investigation............................................................................................................. 130 Case Disposition on Behalf of Pandori................................................................................... 135 Case Disposition-OHRC......................................................................................................... 138 Appointment of a Board of Inquiry ........................................................................................ 139 Rabbi Gunther Plaut............................................................................................................ 139 An Ontario Human Rights Commission Board of Inquiry Convenes ................................ 145 Press ........................................................................................................................................ 147 Ontario Human Rights Commission Board of Inquiry........................................................... 150 Board of Inquiry.................................................................................................................. 151 Uncontested Facts ............................................................................................................... 155 Harbhajan Singh Pandori: Complainant ............................................................................. 157 Kirpan Policy in Other Jurisdictions: Testimonies