A longstanding human rights dispute stemming from comments made during Surrey School Board hearings in 2003 on books about same-sex parents has been settled. 

A lesbian couple, who have two children, had filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal that the school board had failed in its duty to maintain a tone of respect and tolerance during the hearings.

Kim Forster and her partner had filed a human rights complaint against the Surrey School Board.
(CBC file)

The board had been seeking public input on whether children should have access to the controversial books in Surrey schools.

Carol Pegura and Kim Forster were upset that some people in attendance made anti-gay remarks that included comparisons of homosexuals to animals, and linking gay men and pedophiles.

Shawn Wilson, who was a school trustee at the time, is now the chair of the board. He acknowledges some of the comments were inappropriate and says the board has changed its rules for public hearings to ensure more respectful behaviour.

"The board is tightening up its policy that I think will more greatly respect diversity and different views of different people," he told CBC News.

He says Surrey trustees have been paying attention to recent decisions on same-sex issues by the federal and provincial governments, and realized settling the case would be the best option.

"Why would you carry it on and go through the tribunal and spend more money and waste more time? It just seemed so correct to resolve it."

The case first went before the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal in 2004. The hearing had been scheduled to resume this fall.