In Canadian Province, Catholic Schools Hit By Complaints Under Parental Rights Law

The Edmonton Journal reported yesterday on the unanticipated consequences of a law enacted in 2009 by the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of Alberta. Bill 44, the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Amendment Act, added sexual orientation to the province's anti-discrimination law. It also includes a parental rights provision-- advocated by the Catholic Church among others-- requiring a school to provide notice to parents whenever a class or program will be dealing primarily and explicitly with religion, sexuality or sexual orientation, so the parent can request his or her child be excused from class or not participate. (See prior posting.) Now however in the town of Morinville where all public schools are operated by the Greater St. Albert Catholic schools, it is the Catholic school board that is the subject of parental complaints about the ability to opt out. At least 5 non-Catholic parents have filed complaints with the Alberta Human Rights Commission claiming that their non-Catholic children were forced to receive religious instruction, without the ability to opt out. They say that in the Morinville schools, Catholic doctrine permeates all aspects of the school day. Non-Catholic parents in Morinville (which is no longer a homogeneous Catholic village) are attempting to get a secular school alternative for their children.