Harini Sivalingam, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association's director of equality, speaks to reporters about changes to Policy 713 outside of the New Brunswick legislature in Fredericton in June. - Canadian Civil Liberties Association Facebook photoSaltWire's Atlantic regional weather forecast for September 13, 2023 | SaltWireFREDERICTON, N.B.
The legal challenge follows Education Minister Bill Hogan's June decision to amend Policy 713. The policy now requires school staff to get parental consent before using the chosen names and pronouns of children younger than 16. The association argues that the policy change process was"fundamentally flawed and unfair," citing a lack of consultation with education, medical and legal experts, as well as those directly affected by the changes.
“The minister has created confusion throughout the education system that is causing great harm to 2SLGBTQ+ students,”"Worse, the minister of education has kept revising and changing government rules that apply only to trans and gender students, creating discrimination, disadvantage and harm." “The Minister has created confusion throughout the education system that is causing great harm to 2SLGBTQ+ students,” said Harini Sivalingam, Director of the Equality Program at the CCLA