Toronto

Ontario to ban NDAs in sexual misconduct cases by staff at colleges, universities

The Ontario government has introduced a bill that would ban the use of non-disclosure agreements in sexual misconduct cases among post-secondary employees who are looking for work at a different institution.

Legislation would let schools fire employees who’ve sexually abused students, province says

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario. A new bill from the government would require post-secondary schools to have sexual misconduct policies in place and disciplinary measures for staff who break those rules. (Yan Theoret/CBC/Radio-Canada)

The Ontario government has introduced a bill that would ban the use of non-disclosure agreements in sexual misconduct cases among post-secondary employees who are looking for work at a different institution.

The province says the legislation would also allow schools to fire employees who've committed sexual abuse against students.

The new bill would also require post-secondary schools to have sexual misconduct policies in place and disciplinary measures for staff who break those rules.

The legislation would amend the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act.

The bill would also allow Toronto Metropolitan University to legally change its name from Ryerson University.

The school adopted its new name in April after a backlash against Egerton Ryerson, an architect of Canada's residential school system.