Quebecers barred over religious symbols hope Supreme Court challenge overturns secularism laws

Teachers, school staff and parent volunteers across Quebec say the province’s expanding secularism laws have sidelined their careers and community involvement — and they are now looking to the Supreme Court of Canada for relief.

At the centre of the legal battle is Bill 21, Quebec’s 2019 secularism law, adopted under Premier François Legault’s government, which bars certain public servants — including teachers — from wearing religious symbols on the job. The law will be argued before the Supreme Court on March 23. Although legal experts say the odds of it being struck down are slim, many affected Quebecers say they are holding onto hope.

In recent months, the scope of Quebec’s secularism framework has expanded.

Bill 94, introduced last year by former education minister Bernard Drainville, extends the religious symbols ban to all school employees and parent volunteers. It also prohibits students from wearing face coverings.

For Sabaah Khan, who has volunteered at her children’s elementary school library on Montreal’s South Shore for eight years, the change was immediate and painful. After receiving an email from the Riverside School Board in January, she was told she could no longer volunteer unless she removed her hijab.

Khan says the decision left her feeling excluded from a community she had supported for years. “Insisting on the removal of religious attire violates my right to practise my faith,” she said, calling it an essential part of her identity.

Other parents have faced similar restrictions. Asma Qureshi, who helped organize her daughter’s graduation lunch and donated the food through her family’s restaurant, said she was told she could not attend the event because she wears a hijab. Pavandeep Magon, who wears a turban and has volunteered at school events, said being barred from helping feels like an attack on both his faith and his role as a parent.

Bill 21 includes an acquired rights clause allowing teachers already employed in 2019 to keep their jobs while wearing religious symbols. However, they cannot change positions or seek promotions without complying with the ban.

Montreal English teacher Bouchera Chelbi, who wears a hijab, says the restriction has halted her plans to become a principal. “They don’t look at what’s in your head, they look at what’s on your head,” she said.

Amrit Kaur, a Sikh teacher who wears a turban, graduated the same day Bill 21 was adopted. She ultimately left Quebec to teach in British Columbia, saying the law forced her to pause her career ambitions in the province where she grew up.

Another proposed measure, Bill 9, currently before a National Assembly committee, would extend the religious symbols ban to workers in subsidized daycare and private schools. It would also prohibit prayer spaces in public institutions and restrict certain religious accommodations.

Quebec invoked the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause to shield Bill 21 from Charter challenges, a move that has made the Supreme Court case particularly significant. The court will hear arguments not only from Quebec’s attorney general and civil rights groups, but also from five other provinces and the federal government.

Legal observers say the ruling could have implications far beyond Quebec, particularly regarding the limits of the notwithstanding clause and the balance between provincial authority and Charter-protected rights.

Beyond the legal debate, many parents and staff say day-to-day uncertainty has added to the strain.

Khan recalled attending a school basketball game where organizers were unsure whether her presence constituted volunteering or spectating. Magon described hesitating before helping an elderly driver stuck in snow near the school, unsure whether doing so could be interpreted as volunteering under the new rules.

For many, the emotional toll is as significant as the professional impact. Qureshi said there are moments when she feels treated as a “second-class citizen,” despite years of community involvement.

As the March 23 hearing approaches, teachers and parents say they are watching closely.

Kaur, now a mother, says she continues to support the challenge in part for her son’s future. Chelbi acknowledges that even if the law is overturned, it may be too late to revive her own career plans — but she hopes it could open doors for the next generation.

Khan says she still believes Quebec can find a path that includes everyone.
“We are also part of Quebec,” she said. “This does a lot of damage to the community — which is all of us.”