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| Yaniv |
He was and is known in the legal world as a "vexatious litigant" who also silenced many women on social media including Twitter.
Yaniv is going to have to find some other pasttime now that he made Canada the laughingstock of the world.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms today issued a news release declaring victory on behalf of their clients, as an early ruling in favour of the mostly home-based salon workers was announced just one day after the Canadian federal elections.
According to the news release, The decision noted, “human rights legislation does not require a service provider to wax a type of genitals they are not trained for and have not consented to wax.” The decision further found that Yaniv “engaged in improper conduct,” “filed complaints for improper purposes,” and concluded Yaniv’s testimony was “disingenuous and self-serving.” Finally, noted the Tribunal, Yaniv was “evasive and argumentative and contradicted herself” while giving evidence.
The JCCF represented five of more than 10 aesthetician workers Yaniv brought complaints against, many of whom were immigrants or from visible minority or highly religious communities. This, along with Yaniv’s history of racially charged remarks, led many to speculate that the complaints were racist or xenophobic in nature.
More details can be found here.
An expert in genital waxing testified at the hearing, informing the Tribunal that estheticians who are not trained in male genital waxing should not attempt to wax a penis and scrotum due to the risk of serious injury to the customer. The expert also testified that the necessary prolonged manipulation of a client’s penis and scrotum often results in sexual arousal and a request for sexual services. The expert said her salon’s refusal to provide sexual services has resulted in name calling, intimidation and customer requests to masturbate in her salon.
Most of the women who were the target of Yaniv’s complaints work out of their own home, are of immigrant background, and have small children with them in the house during the day.
A publication ban had identified Yaniv only as JY for most of the proceedings until the estheticians successfully brought an application to have it lifted.
The Tribunal ordered costs against Yaniv in the amount of $2000.00 payable to each of Ms. Benipal, Ms. DaSilva, and Mrs. Hehar Gill.
This assault on women's rights has to stop.
The actual tribunal ruling is here.
However, Ms. Yaniv’s complaints are unique. Put simply, she made her genitals relevant.
She sought a service on her genitals and then refused to answer questions about the service
she was seeking, eventually giving inconsistent and untruthful evidence. In that regard, I find
that her evidence that she was not asking Ms. DaSilva to wax a scrotum but a vulva was
patently untrue. This was clearly evidence central to her genital waxing complaints. Her
evasiveness on this subject matter took up time during these hearings and obstructed the
Tribunal’s, and Respondents’, ability to get to the issues. This conduct was improper. On its
own, I would not find it merits an award for costs. However, taken as part of a pattern of
conduct which has compromised this process, I find it does warrant such an award.
Ouch.
I was critical of Devyn Cousineau for allowing this nonsense to be heard in the first place, but now I think she may have taken this just to send him a message not to waste the tribunal's time in the future.
The women should have been compensated for way more. Of course, Yaniv won't pay a dime unless he is sued in civil court.
