Discrimination and Harassment Policy Review

Policy review process has been completed

TMU’s DHPP Review was conducted by the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI).  The review

began in fall 2024 and continued until spring 2025. The purpose of the review was to enhance our collective effort to continuously protect the right to equitable treatment and address discrimination and harassment across all areas of the university, as part of our ongoing commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and human rights at TMU. 

In November 2024, 385 participants from the TMU community provided input on the policy review through feedback sessions, town halls and an online survey. Their contributions laid the groundwork for proposed updates to the policy, which were shared with the community in January 2025, along with another online survey to gather additional feedback. Additional tabling and feedback sessions took place with student unions and groups as well as faculty, contract lecturer and staff unions in February and March 2025.  Over 840 TMU community members participated in the policy review process.

Summary of updates

• The Policy was renamed to “Discrimination and Harassment Policy” from “Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy.”
• The Policy is written in plain language, making it easier for TMU community members to read and understand. 
• The Policy is aligned with the Ontario Human Rights Code and other university policies.
• New sections of the Policy have been added that outline its purpose and identify key values and guiding principles, including: 
  • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
  • Addressing Systemic Barriers and Discrimination
  • Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom
• The Definitions section in the Policy has been updated to clarify core concepts, including adding descriptions of the Ontario Human Rights Code protected grounds and different types of discrimination and harassment, as well as hate activity.
• The Duty to Accommodate section in the Policy has been expanded to include all relevant protected grounds in the Ontario Human Rights Code, including disability, creed, family status, sex (pregnancy) and gender identity and gender expression. 
• The section on Shared Responsibility to Address Discrimination and Harassment has been updated to include all university community members, and a new section has been added on roles and responsibilities under the Policy.
• The Policy and Procedures have been aligned with other related university policies, including the Sexual Violence Policy (updated in 2024), particularly with respect to the complaint resolution process outlined in the Procedures, including, for example: 
  • The Jurisdiction of the Complaint Resolution Process section clarifies the university’s role in addressing complaints related to incidents connected to university-related activities that occur off campus or online. 
  • The Accountability Measures in the Procedures have been revised to provide decision makers with relevant factors to consider including the range of potential measures to apply following a finding of a breach of the Policy.
• Timelines have been updated in a number of circumstances. These timelines may be extended if reasonably necessary in the circumstances. 
  • A complainant will receive initial communication from Human Rights Services (HRS) within five business days of filing a complaint.
  • HRS will typically complete a preliminary assessment within 25 business days after receiving all of the relevant details of a complaint. 
  • HRS will endeavour to address complaints and communicate the outcome of the complaint resolution process to the parties within 12 months from the date that the complaint was received. 
  • The decision maker will render a decision within 30 business days of receiving the investigation report and all other relevant information and materials. 
  • The appeal decision maker will communicate the appeal decision in writing to all parties within 20 business days of the commencement of the review.
• The complaint resolution process in the Procedures has been enhanced to include a greater emphasis on early intervention, alternative resolution, Indigenous conflict resolution and restorative justice approaches to addressing complaints of discrimination and harassment. 

• The Procedures have been updated to confirm the avenues through which HRS will accept anonymous complaints of discrimination and harassment in order to assess whether they fall within the university’s jurisdiction and determine appropriate next steps. However, due to inherent limitations in addressing anonymous complaints, it may not always be appropriate or procedurally fair to proceed with a complaint resolution process in every case.
• The Policy and Procedures have been updated to ensure compliance with new legislative requirements outlined in Bill 166, the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act (2024) as directed by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

A  (google doc) Summary of Proposed Changes (external link)  has been provided for your reference.

Approval of the draft Policy and Procedures

The updated Discrimination and Harassment Policy was approved by the  Board of Governors on  June 26, 2025.

Next steps 

In accordance with legislative requirements and the TMU administrative policy framework, as well as our commitment to excellence and community consultations, the university will conduct the next policy review in approximately five years.

Questions? 

If you have any questions or require more information about the Discrimination and Harassment Policy Review, please email dhppreview@torontomu.ca.