Melissa Jean-Baptiste Vajda is a Human Rights lawyer currently working as a Human Rights and Equity advisor at a french catholic school board where she advises on key human rights and equity issues in order to help ensure that the school board meets its mandate of providing inclusive and equitable access to education to all students while also ensuring that all processes and procedures are compliant with the Ontario Human Rights Code.  Melissa is also a former community legal clinic lawyer who practiced in downtown Toronto in the areas of Housing, Human Rights and Workers’ Rights. She is a dedicated advocate for social justice.

Melissa was born in Montreal but grew up in Toronto. She completed her undergraduate degree from McGill University, followed by law school at the University of Ottawa where she held positions on the National Executive of the Black Law Students Association of Canada.

Melissa ran for public office in the 2019 Federal Elections for the New Democratic Party in the riding of University-Rosedale where she finished second behind the incumbent.

Melissa is Canadian of Haitian descent and is fluent in French and English.