The Collège Citoyen de Laval must manage a religious controversy surrounding a ban on wearing the veil at the start of the school year.
TVA Nouvelles went to the private French-language establishment on Boulevard Sainte-Rose, which published a press release in the last few minutes to denounce the attitude of certain parents and students.
According to management, these allegations damage the reputation of the college by conveying false and misleading statements related to the wearing of the veil. There is also an online petition of disgruntled students.
“We were surprised by this situation, explained director Myriam Stephens on LCN. We have procedures in place when a parent wishes to make an accommodation request of any kind. He must address it to management.”
According to her, misinformation, possibly conveyed by students from outside, could be the cause of the crisis.
“The school dress code has never changed. It has been the same since 2007. There are adjustments that can be made to it.”
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However, on social networks, where management mentions “hateful messages”, parents claim that their child has been banned from wearing the veil and that they have even threatened to send them home.
The veil would therefore be prohibited, as would other religious signs, according to some Internet users. This statement is false, according to Myriam Stephens, who recalls the rules to follow in matters of religious accommodation.
“The student must conform to the clothes that are in the school uniform. Now, if we want to add a veil, the parent makes a request and that allows us to adjust and have rules. For example, so that it is neutral in color to match the uniform. In our case, it’s black.”
The College issued a press release in the morning. Here is a passage.
“We deem it necessary to rectify the facts regarding the current slippage. We know that the religious question can be sensitive and can create a divide in our educational community.
See above the interview of the principal of the school, Myriam Stephens, with the journalist Yves Poirier.
