Article content

Letting female lifeguard candidates carry lighter subjects during a rescue test is not only discriminatory, it’s dangerous, alleges a Medicine Hat man who filed a human-rights complaint against the southern Alberta city after he was forced to carry a heavier man and failed.

The Alberta Human Rights Commission disagreed and dismissed Jeremy Peressini’s complaint against the City of Medicine Hat, saying the gender segregation was justified to accommodate younger, smaller candidates.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Human rights complaint alleged city's lifeguard test biased in favour of women Back to video

But Mr. Peressini is considering fighting the commission’s decision in court, by asking for a judicial review.

It has been three years since the ill-fated lifeguard test and Mr. Peressini, 34, is now employed as a fitness trainer. But he said Wednesday there is a principle involved.

Mr. Peressini said first responders, regardless of whether they are male or female, must have the ability to rescue victims of all sizes.