TORONTO -- The Ontario government has named a third expert to conduct a review of a Toronto-area school board facing allegations of racism.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says lawyer Shawn Richard will join the existing team examining the Peel District School Board, in response to public criticism that none of the existing reviewers were black.

Richard is an expert in family and estates law and is past president of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers.

Suzanne Herbert and Ena Chadha were previously appointed to the review.

Lecce announced the review in November, saying the board is facing allegations of anti-black racism and concerns that it is not following proper governance, leadership and human resources practices.

The board has previously said the review is taking place at its request.

Herbert served as a deputy minister with the Ontario Public Service from 1997 to 2008, while Chadha spent eight years as vice-chairwoman and adjudicator with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

The team has been asked to produce an interim report before the end of the year and complete the review by the winter of 2020.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2019.