TD Bank settles human rights complaint by B.C. Muslim-Indigenous man

A human rights complaint has been settled between TD Bank and a Muslim-Indigenous man who claimed he was racially profiled while trying to open a bank account.

A human rights complaint has been settled between the TD Bank and a Muslim-Indigenous man who claimed he was racially profiled while trying to open a bank account at a Surrey, B.C., branch.

Sharif Mohammed Bhamji, a member of the Heiltsuk Nation, said he hopes his case serves as example to others who have experienced similar injustices and encourages them to speak out.

“It’s not the solution but it’s definitely part of it, and I’m glad to be part of a solution,” he said in an interview.

Bhamji and TD executives took part in a traditional Heiltsuk washing ceremony on Sunday in Bella Bella, a healing ritual that the nation’s elected chief said sets the bar for corporate accountability.

The monetary values of the settlement have not been made public, said the Heiltsuk First Nation, who joined Bhamji in the filing of the 2022 Canadian Human Rights Commission complaint.

But the nation said in a news release that it included general damages, funds for its Urban Heiltsuk Support Team in Vancouver and funding to cover the costs of the washing ceremony.

It said TD Bank has also improved its training and process around the use of status cards “to the satisfaction of all involved.”

The settlement marks the conclusion of a complaint that was set off in May 2021 when Bhamji went into a TD branch near his Surrey home to verify his identity after completing the online portion of the banking application.