A Human Rights Tribunal will hear final arguments from the attorneys representing the township of Emo and three elected officials from the 2020 council regarding Borderland Pride’s complaints over council’s decision to reject a Pride Month proclamation.
The Pride group’s lawyer Douglas Elliott made his final submission on Tuesday.
He called the case a simple one, drawing comparisons to a Tribunal decision three decades ago against the city of London, Ontario, which was fined $10,000 for refusing to fly a Pride flag.
Elliott argued Emo’s decision was reckless and egregious and based on homophobia.
Lawyers for Mayor Harold McQuaker, Councillor Harrold Boven and former Councillor Warren Toles asked earlier in the day for the case to be dismissed because of hearing documents posted on Borderland Pride’s website.
The documents have been on the website since April and posted by the Pride group’s co-chair Doug Judson, but Paul Cassan says he was only made aware of them late last Friday.
He says the public display violates the Tribunal’s procedures.
Elliott responded by stating that Judson, a lawyer, was not aware the tribunal has different rules from other courts when it comes to documents.
Adjudicator Karen Dawson has not yet ruled on the matter but asked that the documents be taken down.
They were removed as of Wednesday morning.
Dawson was also asked to rule on a second motion from Borderland Pride’s legal team.
It requested amendments to its application, including a higher request for damages amounting to $70,000 from the municipality and $20,000 from each member of council cited in the application.
Dawson denied that request.
