NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The Supreme Court of Canada has sided with a BC father and his learning disabled son in their fight for special education.

The high court has ruled the North Vancouver School District discriminated against Jeffrey Moore by not doing enough to give him the help he needed.

A panel of judges voted 9-0; agreeing with a 2005 Human Rights Tribunal decision about this case.  The BC Supreme court overturned the tribunal ruling and that decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal.  The Supreme Court of Canada, however, overturned the lower courts, restoring the finding of discrimination and awarded costs to Moore.

Jeffrey’s father eventually enrolled him in an expensive independent school.  The court ruled adequate special education is not a dispensable luxury.  The family has also been awarded $100,000.

It has been 15 years since the case was first launched.