It's a delicate matter to accuse someone of sexual harassment.... In my landlady's case, there was a lot of evidence going against her...but it didn't necessarily prove she was guilty.... Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation was another possibility.... But it also wasn't proven....
A person also has to be careful of what they say about gay people.... I made my share of mistakes....
What I can conclude about this landlord/tenant matter is that it was a learning experience for me.... And I had some church friends who came out to me as gay afterwards....
Monday, August 15, 2016
Monday, August 8, 2016
No Lawyer--part 2
Sometime around the time that a new landlord/tenant agency was created, after the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal ended, the Ontario Human Rights Commission also changed and switched to a tribunal format.... I haven't followed the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario to observe their progress but I imagine their cases are much more streamlined than before...? And I'm not sure if they require lawyers for their clients but I believe they provide some assistance directly to clients...? Everything helps, I'm sure...! If I'd been able to go to a human rights tribunal, with assistance, when my case came up it would've certainly been easier for me.
Also, I hadn't been personally involved in many court cases before the landlord problem came up; and I didn't stop to think what a difficult challenge it could be to prove a case and to win a judgment for it...? It happens that I recently had had sexual harassment from a male landlord in a different city, and I'd gotten counselling for it.... But I hardly got any legal advice at that time, even though some would've been available.... And I was in over my head with the female landlord....
Also, I hadn't been personally involved in many court cases before the landlord problem came up; and I didn't stop to think what a difficult challenge it could be to prove a case and to win a judgment for it...? It happens that I recently had had sexual harassment from a male landlord in a different city, and I'd gotten counselling for it.... But I hardly got any legal advice at that time, even though some would've been available.... And I was in over my head with the female landlord....
"No Lawyer [was] Required"
Part of the reason why my landlord/tenant case was so difficult to deal with was because the former Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal was a new agency when I went there and they had a new system which was quite different than before.... As far as I know, the cases had been handled in the regular courts earlier...? But it was promoted in the news that clients of the ORHT didn't need to have lawyers representing them unless they wished to...? Also, a new law called "The Tenant Protection Act" included human rights offenses which had normally been handled by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.... That change alone was extremely significant and the OHRC had not uncommonly taken a number of years to investigate and rule on their cases.
If a person can possibly get a lawyer to help them, it's always preferable to make use of them, in my opinion.... And especially where a human rights case of sexual harassment in housing was involved, a lawyer would've been invaluable.... It would've needed to be a lawyer who specialized in human rights or sexual harassment, however.... Lawyers, just like doctors, usually have their field of expertise and experience....
Needless to say, I didn't have any particular lawyer representing me at the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal.... Before the hearing, I got some free advice from a legal clinic but we didn't cover the human rights matter at all.... Later, I also made use of free clinics but it wasn't the same as having a lawyer represent me....
If a person can possibly get a lawyer to help them, it's always preferable to make use of them, in my opinion.... And especially where a human rights case of sexual harassment in housing was involved, a lawyer would've been invaluable.... It would've needed to be a lawyer who specialized in human rights or sexual harassment, however.... Lawyers, just like doctors, usually have their field of expertise and experience....
Needless to say, I didn't have any particular lawyer representing me at the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal.... Before the hearing, I got some free advice from a legal clinic but we didn't cover the human rights matter at all.... Later, I also made use of free clinics but it wasn't the same as having a lawyer represent me....
Friday, August 5, 2016
Going Back--part 3
Even though I've provided an update on the landlord/tenant matter, it's not my intention to debate the case in this blog.... I've provided further information about the landlord to my private sources; and I have still more information about the landlord which I haven't provided to them....
The case hasn't been proven in a court or tribunal; and it hasn't been disproven, either.
The case hasn't been proven in a court or tribunal; and it hasn't been disproven, either.
Going Back--part 2
Continued from below.
Also, I later received credible confirmation that this landlady was under psychiatric care and had been for a few years before I moved into her apartment. She wasn't an incompetent person, though, and was in the process of studying for a Ph.D. degree.... Am not sure if she was ever successful or not; and there was some question about it...?
At this point, I can finally say I believe it was for my good and probably for the landlady's that I moved out when I did--although she could've paid higher damages towards me.... She gave me a very small amount of financial compensation when I moved out, as it was....
The criminal complaints and charges against me came about mainly because the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal and I had a dispute about what happened in this landlord/tenant case, and it was also thought that I was lying about the sexual harassment.... [It happens to be on an official record that my landlady had sexual intentions towards me and I refused her--it was discussed at the hearing, which was recorded.... And we didn't discuss the Bible comment at the hearing but there was evidence, in my opinion, that the landlady continued pursuing me after the first rejection and the Bible comment....]
Also, I later received credible confirmation that this landlady was under psychiatric care and had been for a few years before I moved into her apartment. She wasn't an incompetent person, though, and was in the process of studying for a Ph.D. degree.... Am not sure if she was ever successful or not; and there was some question about it...?
At this point, I can finally say I believe it was for my good and probably for the landlady's that I moved out when I did--although she could've paid higher damages towards me.... She gave me a very small amount of financial compensation when I moved out, as it was....
The criminal complaints and charges against me came about mainly because the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal and I had a dispute about what happened in this landlord/tenant case, and it was also thought that I was lying about the sexual harassment.... [It happens to be on an official record that my landlady had sexual intentions towards me and I refused her--it was discussed at the hearing, which was recorded.... And we didn't discuss the Bible comment at the hearing but there was evidence, in my opinion, that the landlady continued pursuing me after the first rejection and the Bible comment....]
Going Back to the Beginning...
Going back to the landlord/tenant matter which was reported at the beginning of this blog, I'd like to tell some more about what happened....
The landlord was a church-going person and this came out in our first meeting.... She also asked if I could provide a character reference from my church for her.... I was also somewhat of a religious person; and I complied successfully with her request--although I found out later that the person giving the reference wasn't completely reliable and not everything said about me was positive....
Before very much time passed in my tenancy, my landlady made an indirect sexual solicitation towards me and she assumed that I was going to be interested in her.... I was actually shocked and my first response was to tell her the Bible says homosexuality is a sin.... I believe it was permissible for me to say that because she had asked about my church at the beginning and my church doesn't condone homosexuality.... Lawyers might say we belonged to the "same group," as Christian people.... However, there are Christians who accept a homosexual lifestyle and those who don't....
After the Bible comment, my landlady had an opportunity to invite me into her home for seemingly innocent purposes and I accepted; but then, because of some circumstances, I began to feel uncomfortable and left earlier than planned...and I never wanted to go back there again....
It was shortly after this that I got an eviction notice and I became angry.... My landlady was unavailable to talk to me and I unfortunately left her one or two angry telephone messages. In the messages, I also made a politically-incorrect comment about her sexual orientation.... Having had very little experience in dealing with gay people, I hadn't thought through what was appropriate and what wasn't. It's not that I meant to cause harm but I just wasn't tactful where I should've been.... And, no doubt, I shouldn't have gotten angry....
The landlady typed up transcripts of the phone messages and brought them to the hearing at the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal offices. Of course, anybody who saw the messages would've been offended and I believe that's what happened....
Continued.
The landlord was a church-going person and this came out in our first meeting.... She also asked if I could provide a character reference from my church for her.... I was also somewhat of a religious person; and I complied successfully with her request--although I found out later that the person giving the reference wasn't completely reliable and not everything said about me was positive....
Before very much time passed in my tenancy, my landlady made an indirect sexual solicitation towards me and she assumed that I was going to be interested in her.... I was actually shocked and my first response was to tell her the Bible says homosexuality is a sin.... I believe it was permissible for me to say that because she had asked about my church at the beginning and my church doesn't condone homosexuality.... Lawyers might say we belonged to the "same group," as Christian people.... However, there are Christians who accept a homosexual lifestyle and those who don't....
After the Bible comment, my landlady had an opportunity to invite me into her home for seemingly innocent purposes and I accepted; but then, because of some circumstances, I began to feel uncomfortable and left earlier than planned...and I never wanted to go back there again....
It was shortly after this that I got an eviction notice and I became angry.... My landlady was unavailable to talk to me and I unfortunately left her one or two angry telephone messages. In the messages, I also made a politically-incorrect comment about her sexual orientation.... Having had very little experience in dealing with gay people, I hadn't thought through what was appropriate and what wasn't. It's not that I meant to cause harm but I just wasn't tactful where I should've been.... And, no doubt, I shouldn't have gotten angry....
The landlady typed up transcripts of the phone messages and brought them to the hearing at the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal offices. Of course, anybody who saw the messages would've been offended and I believe that's what happened....
Continued.
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