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by | March 16, 2016

Civil Rights In Public Education (CRIPE) has initiated a complaint to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal:

Filed early this year, the Application to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal complains about the treatment one student has received from Roman Catholic school board personnel when she applied for an exemption from religious courses and programs in one of the board’s high schools.

The Application is based on a violation of the student’s human rights with regard to creed.

Initial details on Claudia Sorgini v. St. Theresa’s Catholic High School, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic School Board, and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association were posted on Canadian Atheist on February 11. Since then, CRIPE has been working with Paul Champ, who is a human rights lawyer with experience in filing applications with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

CRIPE points out one of the positive outcomes for students who are enrolled in publicly funded Catholic schools:

For public interest remedies, the Tribunal could direct the school and school board to adopt new policies to ensure children no longer face unreasonable barriers to claiming exemptions under s. 42 (13) of the Education Act.
In the event it is discovered that the Trustees Association has been encouraging other schools and school boards to frustrate those who wish to claim lawful exemptions, a direction could be made to compel the OCSTA to inform other school boards about the errors of their ways.

How can you help CRIPE get a positive outcome from an action that will be a social benefit for the whole province? You can support CRIPE’s human rights application by  donating to help CRIPE pay its legal costs.

Please be as generous as possible, but every donation helps the cause and is appreciated. Please make your cheque payable to

Civil Rights in Public Education, Inc.

and send it by mail to

Civil Rights in Public Education, Inc.
Box 491 Pembroke ON K8A 6X7

If you have any questions, please contact me at veronica@canadianatheist.com or email publiced@bell.net

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