EMSB announces it won't implement religious symbols ban

As the Coalition Avenir Qubecgovernment gets set to introduce its religious symbols ban,the English Montreal School Board is already saying it won't implement it.

The EMSB adopted a resolution stating "its strong opposition to any legislation that prohibits or restricts its employees from wearing religious symbols," it said in a news release Wednesday.

The CAQ's bill is expected to prohibit public workers in positions of authority from wearinga religious symbol such as a hijab or kippa and that would includeteachers and principals. A grandfather clause in the bill wouldexemptteachers already working in the classroom.

"This proposed legislation would be contrary to the values the EMSB teaches its children, in particular, values of diversity, acceptance, tolerance and respect for individual rights and religious freedoms," said Julien Feldman, the chair of the EMSB human resources committee.

Feldman calledan emergency meeting in February to discuss the religious symbols ban, whichQuebec PremierFranoisLegaultsaid he wanted settled by summer.

Angela Mancini, the EMSB's chair, said the wearing of religious symbols by teachers has no impact on students.

"We believe in the secularity of the state while still supporting an individual's right to freedom of religion," she said.