OTTAWA — The federal government says the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal wrongfully awarded compensation to both complainants and witnesses who claimed discrimination by the RCMP in an investigation of historical sexual abuse allegations against a school teacher in Burns Lake, B.C.

The tribunal issued a decision last month directing the RCMP to review its policies, practices and training when dealing with “Indigenous crime complainants in historical abuse investigations.”

The decision stems from a 2017 complaint made by members of the Lake Babine First Nation for discriminatory conduct by police during an investigation of alleged abuse by a teacher and coach in the 1960s and 1970s.

The teacher’s name was ordered to be kept confidential by the tribunal, and three of four the complainants died before the complaint hearing.

The tribunal awarded $7,500 plus interest to the complainants or their estates, and also four witnesses who testified at the hearing.

The Attorney General of Canada says in a court application that the tribunal is not the “proper forum” for discrimination complaints against the RCMP, and that police investigations are not a “service” covered by the Canadian Human Rights Act.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2026

The Canadian Press