B.C. human rights commissioner at odds with province over police in schools [Video]

British Columbia’s human rights commissioner says the provincial government has effectively made police liaison programs mandatory in schools with its firing of the Greater Victoria school board, while failing to provide a factual basis for the decision.

Kasari Govender says in a letter to Education Minister Lisa Beare and Public Safety Minister Gary Begg that failure to fund research into the matter is contrary to the government’s human rights obligations “and undermines its stated values to combat racism.”

The letter dated Monday comes after Beare fired the entire elected board of School District No. 61 last Thursday over its refusal to allow police in schools except in emergencies.

The commissioner says there are “significant gaps” in evidence supporting school police liaison officers and there is not …