Students can opt out of religious classes at Catholic school after complaint settled

By Michelle McQuigge

Students at an Ontario Catholic school board will soon have more flexibility to opt out of religious courses and programs thanks to a human rights settlement that could have implications across the province.

A human rights complaint lodged against the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board by a former student has resulted in changes to the board’s exemption policies and an agreement to encourage other boards to adopt a similar approach.

The complaint, filed by Claudia Sorgini in 2016, alleged the student was discriminated against when she sought an exemption from religious classes. The case was to go before the province’s human rights tribunal but was privately settled late last month.

Sorgini’s lawyer Paul Champ said the settlement represents a victory for students in Catholic schools across Ontario.

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