The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board has settled a human rights complaint. The Globe and Mail reports the complaint was filed by a former student of Midland’s St. Theresa’s Catholic High School.
The student had asked to be exempt from religious classes in her graduating year. The student is not Catholic. She was told she would be excluded from several activities and assemblies including the honour roll breakfast. The student and the school board eventually reached an agreement but the student took her case to the province’s human rights tribunal.
A settlement, reached outside of a tribunal hearing, states that the board would develop new procedures that allows students exempted from religious classes to be treated with dignity and respect.
The agreement also requires the Ontario Catholic Teacher’s Association to share the new procedures with every Catholic school board in Ontario and encourage them to follow suit.
Filed by Wendy Gray