The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) has dismissed a human rights complaint initiated by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) law student Ish Aderonmu after he said the school was discriminating against him for being a poor black man. .“Specifically, the applicant alleged that the respondent discriminated against him when the respondent did not advocate on his behalf to any financial institutions to provide him with a line of credit,” said HRTO adjudicator Denise Ghanam in a ruling. .Aderonmu alleged he was being discriminated against on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, age, and disability with respect to goods and services contrary to the Ontario Human Rights Code..His application named TMU, Lincoln Alexander School of Law assistant dean, student programming, development, and equity Tanya De Mello, president Mohamed Lachemi, and law school dean Donna Young as respondents. .Aderonmu entered the inaugural class of the Lincoln Alexander School of Law in 2020. .His past included a criminal record for selling cannabis in the United States and spending time in an immigration detention centre. He said he wanted to go to TMU for law because it was dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and equity (DIE). .What started off with such promise for him devolved into a human rights complaint he initiated in December, which saw him demand $750,000 from TMU. Aderonmu, who was struggling to pay rent and tuition, said he was facing discrimination through a program inaccessible to a poor black man..The HRTO sent Aderonmu a notice of intent to dismiss the application in March, advising the application fell outside of its jurisdiction. The ruling said the narrative setting out the incidents of alleged discrimination “failed to identify any specific acts of discrimination within the meaning of the Code allegedly committed by the respondent.” .Aderonmu filed submissions in response to the notice in April. This decision was made following a hearing in writing. .To fall within the HRTO’s jurisdiction, the ruling said an applicant must provide some factual basis beyond a bald assertion linking the grounds they were discriminated against to the respondents’ actions and why they think that these actions were discriminatory. He asserted he applied for a professional line of credit meant for law students, but was denied by multiple financial institutions. .The student requested assistance from the respondents, but he was unsatisfied with the help provided. While he provided examples of comments from various respondents he interpreted to be demeaning, Ghanam said he “failed to provide any alleged factual basis for discrimination or demonstrate that he received adverse treatment from the respondents.” .“Accordingly, the Application does not fall within the Tribunal’s jurisdiction,” she said. .“For the above reasons, the Application is dismissed.” .Aderonmu said while he respects Ghanam’s ruling, he disagrees his application could not prove adverse treatment from the respondents beyond bald assertions.
