Background:
West Vancouver Schools recognizes that every individual has the right to participate fully in educational and workplace environments free from discrimination and harassment. Consistent with the principles of the BC Human Rights Code, the Accessible British Columbia Act, and other applicable legislation, the District strives to create safe, welcoming, accessible, and inclusive environments that support student achievement, well-being, engagement, and successful participation.
Guiding Principle:
The District will endeavour to ensure that all learning and working environments uphold human rights, promote respect and belonging, remove barriers to participation, and support equitable access to opportunities for all members of the school community.
Definitions:
Accessibility: The proactive identification, removal, and prevention of barriers that may limit an individual’s ability to fully participate in learning, employment, programs, services, or activities.
Accommodation: Reasonable adjustments or supports provided to enable an individual to participate fully and equitably in learning, employment, programs, services, or activities, consistent with the requirements of the BC Human Rights Code.
Barrier: Any physical, attitudinal, systemic, technological, communication, or informational obstacle that hinders an individual’s full and equitable participation in learning, employment, programs, services, or activities.
Diversity: The presence of a wide range of identities, backgrounds, experiences, cultures, languages, abilities, beliefs, perspectives, and lived experiences.
Discrimination: Conduct, practices, decisions, or policies that impose burdens, disadvantage, exclude, limit access, or deny opportunities to an individual or group based on a protected characteristic under the BC Human Rights Code.
Equity: The fair and just treatment of individuals through the identification and removal of barriers and the provision of support required to achieve equitable outcomes.
Harassment: Unwelcome conduct, comments, actions, or behaviours based on a protected ground under the BC Human Rights Code that interferes with an individual’s dignity, well-being, or full participation in a learning or working environment.
Human Rights: The rights and freedoms recognized and protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the BC Human Rights Code, and applicable legislation.
Inclusion: The creation of environments where all individuals are welcomed, valued, respected, supported, and able to participate fully.
Protected Grounds: The characteristics protected from discrimination under the BC Human Rights Code, as amended from time to time. Protected grounds vary according to the area of activity, including services and employment.
Respectful School Environment: A learning and working environment in which all members of the school community are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness and are free from discrimination, harassment, retaliation or reprisal, and other conduct that undermines inclusion and belonging.
Retaliation / Reprisal: Any negative action, threat, intimidation, exclusion, or unfair treatment directed toward an individual because they have raised a concern, made a complaint, participated in a process, provided information, or supported another person in addressing a human rights concern. Nothing in this definition limits protections against retaliation under the BC Human Rights Code.
Procedures:
- Promoting Inclusive Learning and Working Environments
- The District shall promote learning and working environments that are respectful, inclusive, equitable, accessible, and free from discrimination and harassment.
- Schools shall foster a culture of belonging that values diverse identities, experiences, perspectives, and contributions, including Indigenous histories, rights, cultures, and Ways of Knowing.
- District programs, services, activities, and practices shall be implemented in a manner consistent with the principles of accessibility, inclusion, and human rights.
- The District shall provide accommodation in accordance with the BC Human Rights Code, including its duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship, to support equitable access to learning, employment, programs, services, and activities.
- Responsibilities
- The Superintendent or designate shall:
- Support the implementation of initiatives that uphold human rights and promote safe, respectful, inclusive, and accessible learning and working environments;
- Provide guidance, resources, and professional learning opportunities to support this Administrative Procedure; and
- Support processes for addressing concerns related to discrimination, harassment, retaliation or reprisal, or other conduct that undermines a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming environment.
- Principals and Managers shall:
- Promote inclusive, respectful, and equitable learning and working environments;
- Communicate expectations for conduct consistent with this Administrative Procedure;
- Respond appropriately to concerns related to discrimination, harassment, retaliation or reprisal, or other conduct that undermines a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming environment; and
- Support staff in fostering a culture of respect and belonging.
- Employees shall:
- Demonstrate respectful and professional conduct;
- Contribute to inclusive learning and working environments;
- Support equitable access to programs, services, and opportunities; and
- Address or report incidents of discrimination, harassment, retaliation or reprisal, or other conduct that undermines a respectful and inclusive environment through appropriate processes.
- Volunteers, contractors, and other individuals providing services within the District are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this Administrative Procedure.
- Students, parents/guardians, visitors, and other members of the school community are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this Administrative Procedure and applicable District and school codes of conduct.
- Learning Resources and Educational Programs
3.1 Schools shall support educational programs and learning resources that promote respect for human rights, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and understanding.
3.2 Staff should incorporate learning opportunities, where appropriate, that help students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to support respect for diversity, human rights, and inclusion.
3.3 Learning resources and educational practices should be reviewed periodically to support inclusive, accessible, and equitable learning environments.
3.4 Educational programming decisions shall not be influenced by stereotypes, bias, discrimination, or prejudice.
- Addressing Concerns and Promoting Resolution
4.1 The District encourages individuals to raise concerns to the appropriate person as early as possible so that concerns may be addressed in a timely, respectful, and constructive manner. Where appropriate and agreed to by those involved, concerns may be resolved through conversation, problem-solving, education, restorative approaches, or other informal processes. Informal resolution is not required where the nature or seriousness of the concern makes it inappropriate.
4.2 Students, employees, parents, guardians, volunteers, contractors, and community members are encouraged to report concerns regarding discrimination, harassment, retaliation or reprisal, or other conduct that undermines a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming environment to the appropriate school or District administrator.
4.3 Concerns shall be reviewed in accordance with applicable legislation, Board policies, administrative procedures, collective agreements, and District processes.
4.4 The District shall take reasonable steps to support affected individuals and promote the restoration of a safe, respectful, inclusive learning or working environment.
4.5 Retaliation or reprisal against any individual who raises a concern, reports an incident, participates in a process, provides information, or supports another person in addressing a concern under this Administrative Procedure is prohibited and shall be addressed through appropriate District processes.
4.6 Information related to concerns raised under this Administrative Procedure shall be handled with discretion and shared only with those who require the information to respond appropriately, support affected individuals, fulfill legal obligations, or carry out their responsibilities.
- Professional Learning and Awareness
5.1 The District shall support ongoing learning and awareness related to human rights, accessibility, inclusion, Indigenous rights and perspectives, and respectful learning and working environments.
5.2 Schools shall promote awareness of expectations related to respectful conduct through school codes of conduct, educational activities, and ongoing communication with students, staff, and families.
5.3 District accessibility planning, feedback, and barrier-removal processes shall be carried out in accordance with the Accessible British Columbia Act and related District processes.
September 2026