The city’s integrity commissioner has concluded there is no evidence that park board commissioner Laura Christensen made a discriminatory comment about children with autism while in a private meeting with her former political party.
Lisa Southern's conclusion came after an investigation her office launched into a complaint from Christensen, who refuted a remark made about her by commissioner Jas Virdi at a public park board meeting on Jan. 23, 2024.
To verify whether Virdi's allegation was true, Southern's investigation focused on an ABC Vancouver pre-election meeting in July 2022 where Christensen and Virdi — both candidates at the time in the fall 2022 election — were present to discuss the party’s platform.
One of the ideas that emerged was the party — if elected — seek a sensory park for neurodiverse children, those with autism spectrum disorder and mobility challenges. Virdi has a son on the autism spectrum.
The meeting was referenced by Virdi at January's public park board meeting, where he said the following during debate over the need for a sensory park:
“And I remember when we were putting this on ABC’s platform, um, this sensory park, um, commissioner Christensen made a comment saying that, you know, we do parks well, and the children on the spectrum, they can just wear earmuffs. That, to me, was offensive.”
Virdi and Christensen were both elected in October 2022 with ABC Vancouver, although Christensen and colleagues Brennan Bastyovanszky and Scott Jensen have since left the party because of Mayor Ken Sim’s desire to abolish the elected park board.
Tension between the current and former ABC commissioners has been present at public meetings and on social media since Sim’s announcement, with the former party members seeking to block attempts to dissolve the board.
ABC Vancouver platform meeting
After hearing Virdi’s comment at the January public meeting, Christensen said she “didn’t say that, and I’m not sure where that came from.”
Three days later, Christensen filed a formal complaint with the integrity commissioner over concerns of reputational harm to her role as an elected official and professional engineer.
Southern interviewed Christensen, Virdi and other unnamed people who were present at ABC Vancouver’s pre-election platform meeting in July 2022. Southern also reviewed a recording of January’s public meeting and a copy of a group chat between ABC members from July 2022.
Virdi’s evidence was that Christensen’s alleged discriminatory comment came at the pre-election meeting during a discussion of the idea for a sensory park. He said Christensen said that parks should be inclusive — to which Virdi argued he was not saying that parks should not be for everybody.
He said aspects of parks should be for children on the autism spectrum and in wheelchairs, as sensory parks were good for all children, Southern said in her report.
“He said he remembered giving an example of taking his child to the park and how other parents judged his child,” Southern wrote. “Commissioner Virdi said commissioner Christensen responded with the discriminatory comment [about earmuffs].”
In response, Virdi said he then made a “big stink.”
“He explained that he looked around, put his hands on the desk and said, ‘That is so offensive, I have a child on the spectrum, he will never put earmuffs on, that is something he is sensitive to,’” Southern wrote.
“’Even if he could, the world is not made for children on [the] spectrum and the comment is disrespectful to me and my child. Other kids don’t have to do that.”’
'That really hurt'
Told by Southern that Christensen’s evidence was that she did not say anything at the pre-election meeting about sensory parks, Virdi said the discriminatory comment could not have been made by anyone else.
“He said it had a significant impact on him as it was on a topic dear to him and one he fought for every day,” Southern wrote. “He said no one defended him and he was considering not being a part of the team. He said, ‘I know it was her, that really hurt.’”
Christensen said in her complaint to Southern that she did not make the comment and thought it was an “incredibly offensive statement.”
“She explained that when she was in a room with new people and not an expert in a topic [which was the case for sensory parks], her normal approach was to be quiet and listen,” Southern wrote.
“She said she did not recall anyone making the discriminatory comment nor did she recall any conflict or a ‘big awkward silence.’ She noted she would remember if these things had occurred.”
The day after the pre-election meeting, Christensen brought the topic up of a sensory park in a group chat with 11 ABC Vancouver members, including Virdi. She summarized that she provided her thoughts on accessible playgrounds, and these were supportive of the initiative, Southern wrote.
ABC Vancouver group chat
Southern said the group chat contained positive back and forth communications between Virdi and party staff members on the sensory park topic, and included comments from Christensen about universal accessibility.
Southern wrote: “She also noted that ‘the current parks strategy already includes having accessible features in all parks and five universally accessible parks by 2040. Do we want to be more ambitious about this goal? In what way (number, timeline)?’”
Southern found in her investigation that “most” of the people who attended the pre-election meeting gave evidence “that supported a conclusion that commissioner Christensen did not make the discriminatory comment.”
She said there was no dissension or opposition about Virdi’s proposal for a sensory park.
“There was no conflict or controversy during the discussion; and the pre-election meeting was a positive one,” Southern wrote.
“Of particular note were two attendees who each had a background and/or education in special needs education, and who gave evidence that had the discriminatory comment been made in their presence, they would have remembered it and reacted strongly to it.”
Southern noted only one attendee substantiated Virdi’s account and said Christensen “didn’t understand why we need to build parks specially for neurodiverse kids,” and she “made a comment [about] why don’t [children] just wear earmuffs.”
'Comment was not true'
Southern’s conclusion: “The evidence shows commissioner Christensen did not make the discriminatory comment. Thus, the Virdi comment was not true. Commissioner Virdi has not provided any explanation as to how he was not reckless as to the truth of his words when he made the Virdi comment.”
Added Southern: “We recommend the public record be corrected by publication of this report consistent with the Code of Conduct Policy. We make no specific recommendations with respect to commissioner Virdi. We recognize that the Virdi comment was made during a heated meeting, at a time of discord for the park board, and on a topic of great importance for him. Commissioner Christensen sought a correction of the record publicly, and this report achieves the remedy she sought.”
Southern recommended that all commissioners attend mandatory training via her office prior to the end of June 2024 “on their obligations under the Code of Conduct Policy and on respectful communications generally.”
Southern’s report, which is available on the park board’s website, will go before the elected board at its next public meeting June 24.
Meanwhile, Sim’s efforts to dissolve the elected board remain on hold, with Premier David Eby saying he will not make the necessary changes to the Vancouver Charter until the next session of the legislature — which would come after the fall provincial election.
