Carolyn Tanner leads the arms-length Office of the Human Rights and Equity Advisor, which oversees the impartial investigation and resolution of human rights-based concerns raised by students, families, community members and staff. Carolyn also provides the OCDSB with advice to help identify and address systemically-based human rights and equity issues, and to increase the Board’s capacity to ensure compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Carolyn is a lawyer with over 20 years of experience working for the advancement of human rights and anti-discrimination in Canada, Nepal, Timor-Leste and Uganda. She has supported marginalized people in accessing their rights, and has worked with governments and institutions to increase their capacity to promote and protect human rights. She also previously served with the United Nations, where she oversaw the monitoring, investigation, and reporting on human rights abuses, working with national authorities to improve accountability and streamline case management systems. She has worked with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to undertake human rights-based reviews, develop evidence-based recommendations for legislative and institutional reform, and create space for equity-deserving community groups to advocate for improved service delivery.
Carolyn is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Western Ontario and her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology and Health from Queen’s University. She believes strongly in the dignity and worth of every person, and in an education system premised on principles of equality and nondiscrimination, participation and inclusion, transparency and accountability, and the best interests of the child.