Provisions are in force to protect people against reprisal who file a complaint or make a report, cooperate in the processing of a report or complaint, or accompany a person who makes a report or files a complaint. It is also prohibited to threaten to retaliate against a person in order to dissuade him or her from filing a complaint or making a report.
The following are presumed to be reprisal measures against students or their parents who have filed a complaint or made a report:
Depriving them of rights
Treating them differently
Suspending or expelling a student
For the staff members of an educational institution who cooperate in the examination of a complaint or report, the following are presumed to be reprisal measures:
Their demotion
Their suspension
Termination of their employment
Their transfer
Disciplinary sanctions or other measures that adversely affect their employment or working conditions.
Reprisal complaints are processed by the National Student Ombudsman.
Fines for a natural person who retaliates or threatens to retaliate range from $2,000 to $20,000. Fines can vary from $10,000 to $250,000 for legal persons.
