The incident happened on an early morning in May 2014, when Wickham went to celebrate his birthday with three friends at the Hong Shing Chinese Restaurant, located at the corner of Dundas Street West and Centre Avenue.
After taking their seats, a server told the group, all of them black, that they would have to prepay for their meals due to a restaurant policy.
While the group at first agreed and paid the bill, Wickham then decided to ask other customers at the restaurant if they too were required to prepay.
This photo of Wickham and his friends, which shows unused utensils and plates alongside a tray with cash on it, was entered as an exhibit during the hearing. (Emile Wickham)
"I got up and I went to each table to ask, and every table said no," Wickham said. He and his friends testified to the tribunal that there were no other black customers in the restaurant at the time.
After Wickham and his friends confronted the server about the discrepancy, Hong Shing offered a refund, which the group accepted before leaving the restaurant.