The B.C. Teachers Against Antisemitism has lost its application to review a human rights tribunal decision not to fast-track an antisemitism complaint hearing against the province’s teachers’ union.
Supreme Court of B.C. Justice Michael P. Klein issued his decision on May 15 in Vancouver, dismissing the petitioner, B.C. Teachers Against Antisemitism, application for review. He also noted the decision of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal member was not “patently unreasonable” and didn’t violate principles of procedural fairness.
The B.C. Teachers Against Antisemitism were seeking a judicial review of a decision made by a member of B.C.’s Human Rights Tribunal, one of two respondents in the case. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation was the other respondent.
The tribunal member had denied the B.C. Teachers Against Antisemitism’s request to fast-track their complaint against the teachers’ union, stemming from a July 24, 2025, decision.
The B.C. Teachers’ Federation was opposing the application, adding that because the application to fast-track the hearing is interlocutory, an appeal of the decision would be premature.
Klein said the main thrust of the petitioner’s application to fast-track a hearing was that it was necessary to address the ongoing and future harms to members of the B.C. Teachers Against Antisemitism.
While the petitioner submitted evidence to the tribunal that they say was sufficient to demonstrate that harm, the tribunal member disagreed. The tribunal member said that without evidence of ongoing harm from any member of the petitioners’ group, the tribunal was not prepared to say that fast-tracking was, in the circumstances, justified.
The B.C. Teachers Against Antisemitism alleges that after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, “and presumably Israel’s response to that attack,” they have been subjected to anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, and antisemitic discrimination.
The group alleged that the B.C. Teachers’ Federation has “acted in a discriminatory and antisemitic manner,” specifically that the union has “tolerated, allowed, enabled, and actively promoted discrimination against its Jewish, Zionist and/or pro-Israel members,” which includes members of the group.
The members of the B.C. Teachers Against Antisemitism are also members of the union and have remained anonymous in fear that if they’re identified, they may be subject to further discrimination.
The B.C. Teachers Against Antisemitism filed the complaint against the B.C. Teachers’ Federation on July 2, 2024. Then, on Oct. 21, 2024, the petitioner filed to fast-track the complaint process.
On Oct. 29, 2024, a B.C. Human Rights Tribunal member – not the one deciding the subsequent fast-track application – issued a letter decision granting the fast-track application, stating that the decision is “limited” and that, should the case proceed beyond mediation, “a party seeking further changes to speed up the process will need to file a further fast-track application.”
A B.C. Human Rights Tribunal letter dated Nov. 6, 2024, notified the parties that the complaint was proceeding and mediation was set for Jan. 29, 2025.
The B.C. Teachers’ Federation filed its complaint response on Jan. 14, 2025.
From Jan. 30 through Feb. 11, 2025, the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal corresponded about the union’s concerns regarding the handling of the petitioner’s first fast-track application.
Then on June 2, 2025, the B.C. Teachers Against Antisemitism applied to fast-track the complaint to a hearing. The union responded to the application on June 24, 2025.
On July 24, 2025, the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal issued its decision, denying the application to fast-track to a hearing. The tribunal member said that it “does not mean that the complaint will languish in the Tribunal’s process.”
The petitioner applied for a reconsideration of the decision on Aug. 7, 2025, but the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal member denied the reconsideration application on Aug. 22, 2025.
All parties acknowledged there is a significant backlog at the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, and that it may take years before a complaint can be heard.
The complaint is moving forward through the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, but there is a pending application from the union to dismiss parts of the complaint.