Whitby council has committed to participating in diversity, equity, and anti-racism education after an investigation into accusations of anti-Asian racism. This stems from a meeting on Oct. 7, 2024 in which Councillor Chris Leahy alleged Councillor Steve Yamada experienced racial microaggressions during his time as deputy mayor. In a report, the law firm retained by the town to investigate found the accusations to be “unsubstantiated” based on a balance of probabilities. It says Yamada was treated differently due to political disagreements and acrimony rather than racial discrimination. However, it encouraged council to improve its approach to addressing discrimination and bias. Council will also consider the law firm’s recommendation of amending its Code of Conduct to include language around addressing discrimination at a future meeting.