E S Notre-Dame Woodstock please accomodate our religious beliefs by allowing an exemption to your dress code

I am asking for support. We have had a serious incidence of religious discrimination towards my 15 year old daughter.

She was rejected from attendance at our local full French Catholic school because she cannot wear the pants that are part of the uniform because of our conservative Christian beliefs.

We made a request for accommodation and alteration to the uniform to correspond to our religious beliefs in that she wear a skirt of their choice (traditional school kilt ?)and if necessary even wear this over the uniform pants.

This was brought first to the Principal, then Superintendent of the board of ed and then a committee at the board which included the Director at the highest level. I even had documentation included of their own board policies regarding equity and inclusion for religious purposes as well as Ontario ministry laws but they rejected our request.

Instead they want our daughter to attend the public French school in London where she has been for part of the year since we moved to Woodstock Nov 1. Even though I have explained how hard it's been on my daughter spending minimum 1hr and 40 mins and up to almost 3 hrs at one point a day bussing back and forth from London.

Two of our other girls age 8 and 10 attend the full French Catholic school in Woodstock on the elementary side (where there are no uniforms) and when they move to Gr 7 this will mean they cannot attend their school any longer.

The Superintendent said the next step would be to work with the Principal and parent council to include the kilt back in the uniform to accommodate conservative Christians. But this would be a long process and there were no guarantees.

I thought that if I could show that this community is one that supports religious rights and freedoms (that are so highly valued hear in Canada) that this would help the parent council pass this amendment to the uniform through.

Thank-you for your support.