The verdict in the Nhlanhla Dlamini case will be rendered by Judge Del Atwood on Thursday September 26 @ 1:30 pm at the Provincial court house in Pictou.
Nhlanhla Dlamini, who is 22, was injured in a Sept. 19, 2018, incident on a New Glasgow, N.S., construction site that sparked protests and gained national attention.
Dlamini said he had faced racism at the work site, and has suggested an alleged nail gun incident that punctured his lung with a nearly nine-centimetre long framing nail was deliberate.
Shawn Wade Hynes, who is 44 was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon.
Nhalana suffered nearly 3 weeks of racial bullying and harassment in the weeks leading up to the attack and on that day after words were exchanged the accused locked eyes with him, smiled and pulled back the safety while pointing it at him.
Nhlanhla turned and ran in fear but was very abruptly stopped by the pain of the nail that entered his back and punctured his lung causing his lung to collapse, requiring emergency surgery and leaving him with 3 percent permanent lung damage. His psychological wounds will be lifelong and equally permanent.
When the trial concluded on September 19, race was not introduced at all by the crown, Bill Gorman, as an aggravating factor of the attack. Racism as the motive was not explored during the trial either despite the overwhelming evidence partly because Gorman didn’t believe he could prove it.
On Nov. 15, Dlamini filed a human rights complaint, alleging he faced discrimination while working for P.Q. Properties, Ltd.
The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission found Paul Quinn, owner of P.Q. Properties, to be in violation of Nhanhla’s Human Rights and that discrimination based on the protected characteristic of race had occurred.
PQ Property owner addressed Dlamini’s complaint through the commission’s restorative process. They issued a joint statement as part of their settlement.
“By fully engaging in the commission’s restorative process the parties achieved their common goal of reaching a mutual resolution to the complaint while addressing the discriminatory actions Mr. Dlamini experienced,” The resolution includes human rights education for all P.Q. Properties employees, and the company will update its policy on discrimination and harassment.
Nhlanhla’s life matters and so do the lives of all our black youth! We must stand up for our children! We must be present and send the message that Nova Scotia does care about black youth! Please come join us while we support Nhlanhla and his family in Courtroom A at the Provincial Court House.
69 Water St, Pictou, NS B0K 1H0
https://goo.gl/maps/6keTpKXK4dKRd8p89
