The English Montreal School Board strongly opposes the CAQ Quebec government's proposed law to vastly expand the ban on religious symbols at work.
Bill 94 will prohibit a host of other workers from wearing such religious symbols as a crucifix, a hijab or turbans. The new list includes everyone from cafeteria workers, secretaries and psychologists to library volunteers, janitors and sports trainers. Like the original Bill 21, Bill 94 will include a grandfather clause recognizing the rights of existing employees to continue wearing them. But as we already know, present-day teachers wearing religious symbols are already prohibited from becoming principals or vice-principals.
The EMSB is already challenging Bill 21 in the Supreme Court of Canada. "Bill 94 is a bad idea at a bad time," said EMSB Chair Joe Ortona. "We are already dealing with a shortage of teachers across the province. Bill 21 merely exacerbates the problem. Finding people to do all the other jobs necessary to ensure our students have all the support they need is equally challenging. Bill 94 will impact every educator and student in Quebec negatively.
We maintain our original position that Bill 21, and now Bill 94, conflicts with our values and our mission and with those of all Quebecers as expressed in the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. Its very adoption was contrary to our societal goal of promoting our peaceful co-existence in a pluralistic Quebec."
See Joe Ortona's blog for more: https://emsb-chair.blogspot.com/2025/03/expanding-ban-on-wearing-of-religious.html.
