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ARTICLE · 24 APRIL 2024

Obligation To Provide Prayer Space And Breaks As A Religious Accommodation?

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The Alberta courts found that a private school discriminated against two students by not allowing them to pray at school. This decision is a good reminder...

CanadaEmployment and HR
Deborah Furtado
Deborah Furtado
Daphnée Legault
Daphnée Legault
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The Alberta courts found that a private school discriminated against two students by not allowing them to pray at school. This decision is a good reminder of the principles of accommodation and is especially useful for employers who receive accommodation requests from employees on religious grounds, such as for prayer breaks or access to a designated prayer room.

Facts

Webber Academy Foundation is a private school in Alberta that identifies itself as a non-denominational institution. Two children of the Sunni Islam faith were admitted to the school.

During their first two weeks of attendance, the children, whose religion requires them to pray five times per day, used empty rooms or offices at the school to pray. However, after these first two weeks, the school informed the parents that a "prayer space" was not permitted at the school due to its non-denominational status.

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