The Lawfare Project and Portalaw file discrimination complaint against Canadian private school

Laurie Allen, a Jewish former teacher at the Victoria School for Ideal Education (VSIE), has filed a human rights complaint alleging she was the target of antisemitic discrimination. She is being supported by The Lawfare Project, and British Columbia based attorney Erin Brandt, Cofounder of PortaLaw. 

The complaint details a disturbing pattern of antisemitic hostility in the workplace, the school’s failure to protect Ms. Allen from discrimination, and retaliatory actions that ultimately led to her dismissal. In one incident, Laurie faced hostility and an anti-Israel rant after mentioning that her son’s friend was killed in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel. 

“We stand firmly with Laurie Allen as she fights to hold the school accountable for the antisemitic discrimination she endured,” said Benjamin Ryberg, lawyer and Chief Operating Officer at The Lawfare Project. “No teacher should face hostility or retaliation because of their Jewish identity, including their connection to Israel. We are committed to using every legal tool at our disposal to seek justice and to send a clear message that antisemitism has no place in our schools or our society.”

Antisemitism in British Columbia’s public school system is a growing and documented problem, with instances ranging from inappropriate teaching material being used to Jewish students being singled out and bullied in classrooms. 

“When Ms. Allen was subjected to antisemitism in her workplace, her employer failed to support her,” said Erin Brandt, Cofounder and Lawyer at PortaLaw. “She is now speaking out about her experience and advocating for her rights, as well as those of her fellow Jewish teachers. She has filed a complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal and is hoping her complaint will move forward without delay to address and remedy the unlawful antisemitism she experienced at work.”

This human rights complaint follows other allegations of discrimination against Jews, including one launched by BC Teachers Against Antisemitism, which was expedited in the fall of 2024.

“Whether it’s in unions, or certain public or private schools, B.C.’s education system is littered with antisemitism. I’m glad teachers are standing up for themselves and their students, but it’s a shame they’ve been forced to do so”, said Paul Pulver, the lawyer representing BC Teachers Against Antisemitism in an unrelated and separately filed human rights complaint.