Senior officer files rights complaint against Peel police

A South Asian police officer from Brampton has filed a human rights complaint against the Peel Police Services Board and the force's former chief for alleged racial discrimination and reprisal after testifying in a similar case filed 10 years ago.  

Insp. Raj Biring says he experienced "offensive racial slurs, derogatory statements and a workplace culture undermining and relegating South Asian police officers" in his human rights complaint obtained by CBC Toronto. 

It wasn't the first time the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) has heard from Biring about alleged systemic racism within Peel police. 

Eight years ago, he testified in support of a colleague in his successful HRTO case, which also focused on racial discrimination within the police service.  

Biring, who has worked for Peel police for more than 34 years, says systemic discrimination against South Asian officers continues within the force. His complaint also alleges that he faced reprisal and retaliation from the police chief at the time after testifying in support of his colleague — including a hostile work environment, and being denied career advancement. 

The claim alleges negative impacts on Biring's mental and physical health. He's seeking $500,000 in damages and what the claim says is his rightful promotion to superintendent.  

"He has been recognized and decorated for this work. But that's on a surface level," Biring's lawyer, Stephanie DiGiuseppe says. "The undercurrent of what he has experienced has been the reprisal, the overt hostility."

Peel police deny the allegations brought forward by Biring. 

Biring began his career with Peel Regional Police in 1990, and was promoted to his current rank of inspector in 2014. He has served in a number of bureaus, including criminal investigation and homicide.

DiGiuseppe says Biring worked to remove systemic barriers faced by people from diverse backgrounds within the police service, including by contributing to the force's diversity outreach efforts, authoring a 2012 equal opportunity report and by joining the force's diversity support group.

In February 2016, he testified before the HRTO in support of another Peel police officer, Staff Sgt. Baljiwan Sandhu. 

The decision, from adjudicator Bruce Best, found that Sandhu was discriminated against on the basis of race in being denied a promotion. Best says Sandhu's race was "indirectly" a factor in not being recommended for promotion since his work in portfolios primarily addressing South Asian issues was "not highly regarded within the service." 

In Biring's testimony, he spoke about the undervaluing of diversity and South Asian policing within the service, and detailed the use of racial slurs by others within the service, according to the decision.

Biring's claim says since testifying at the hearing, he has experienced retaliation for speaking out. His legal team says Biring applied for the position of superintendent eight times and was denied each time, most recently in July of 2023.