Canadian single dad faces human rights complaint for asking about babysitter's gender

[Fight Back!]

A single father in Canada may have violated his province's human
rights act by asking about the gender and age of a potential
babysitter, according to a lawsuit.

The father, identified only as Todd, is being investigated by
the Alberta Human Rights Commission after a complaint was filed
against him in 2017 by the applicant, who claims the father
violated the Alberta Human Rights Act.

The father, whose boys were 5 and 8 at the time, posted an ad
for a babysitter on Kijiji, a popular classified ad site in
Canada, because he was planning on meeting a friend for dinner
the following night.

Todd received several responses, among them one listing skills
such as CPR, and first aid, and mentioning a clean criminal
record and seven years of caring for children. When Todd asked
for age and gender, the applicant, James Crynowski, responded:
"I'm male and 28 years old."

Todd's dinner plans fell through, however, so he stopped
corresponding with Crynowski and the other applicants because he
no longer needed a babysitter. But Crynowski, instead of
following up with Todd, filed a formal complaint with the
Alberta Human Rights Commission on Sept. 1, claiming age and
gender discrimination.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a Canadian
conservative legal advocacy organization specializing in
Canadian constitutional law, is representing Todd and sent a
letter to the commission Aug. 19 to have the complaint dismissed.

“Thwarting parents from even inquiring about a babysitter’s
gender or age is inconsistent with giving ‘utmost deference’ to
parents’ preferences concerning a babysitter for their
children,” the letter said. “It is also inconsistent with the
fact that both gender and age may each be bona fide occupational
requirements in this context.”

The commission has not dismissed the case, although Crynowski,
who filed a similar case against a mother of a five-year-old boy
seeking "an older lady with experience," lost a case that went
to the Supreme Court of Canada, in which he was seeking more
than $1,000 in "damages to dignity."

“It is unclear why the Human Rights Commission has now accepted
Mr. Cyrynowski’s complaint against Todd, giving the precedent
set by the test case,” John Carpay, Justice Centre president and
lawyer, said in a statement.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/dad-babysitter-canada-gender-
discrimination