Habitat Services Toronto boarding home has settled a human rights complaint

                               

                              

Jessica Larabee has been homeless off and on since aging out of foster care in 2006. After aging out of foster care in 2006, she moved to Toronto from Sudbury and directly into a Habitat Services Toronto boarding home for people living in poverty.

Jessica Larabee has been involved in a human rights complaint against the Toronto Habitat Services boarding home in Toronto, alleging Jessica was assaulted and experienced discrimination and ran away because of abuse and stayed at YWCA Toronto.  

“I almost tried to kill myself. I had no family to turn to for support. The YWCA Toronto and the 519 Church Street Community Centre was the only place I could go to for support”.

She alleged that she was abused at Habitat Services but received support at the YWCA Toronto. 

YWCA Toronto provided the support Jessica required.

Habitat Services and Thomas Tuah denied the allegations, but settled the case at mediation downtown Toronto.

Habitat Services and Thomas Tuah said the staff, and the individual officers who were involved, denied discrimination allegations.   

Habitat Services and Thomas Tuah has refused interviews.

Habitat Services agreed to receive training on human rights and LGBTQ issues. 

Kyle Scanlon provided the training from the 519 Church Street Community Centre in the year of 2009.

Jessica claimed damages of $20,000.

What was actually received has not been revealed.  

The cases have been settled out of court — but under the terms of the settlement the amount awarded will remain SECRET.

The case was settled at mediation in the year of 2009. 

"If they didn't think they did anything wrong they would not have agreed to a settlement. We live in a corporate kind of society where money does speak — and people don't like to pay people off for things they did right. So if they [Toronto Habitat Services] did anything right we wouldn't be here talking today," said Larabee.