Ontario Public School Boards are Bound by the Charter Teachers are protected from unreasonable search and seizure in the workplace

July 18, 2024 | Sherrard Kuzz LLP

In York Region District School Board v Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario,[1] the Supreme Court of Canada held the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (“Charter”)[2] applies to all public school boards in Ontario. This means an Ontario public school board must consider the Charter even when acting in its capacity as an employer. In this decision, the Charter right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure was engaged when a principal accessed a teacher’s personal Gmail account left open on the teacher’s work laptop.

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