New Brunswick’s child and youth advocate says changes to the province’s policy on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools violate the Charter rights of children.
Kelly Lamrock released his findings today, saying the Education Department did not seriously consider the legal consequences of its changes to Policy 713.
One of the changes requires children under 16 to have parental consent before they can officially change their preferred first names or pronouns at school.
Lamrock says that refusing to use the preferred names and pronouns of students is a violation of their rights under the Human Rights Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Premier Blaine Higgs has defended the changes, arguing that parents have the right to know whether their children are questioning their gender identity.
But Higgs’s government has faced strong criticism for the policy, including within his own cabinet and from Prime Minister JustinTrudeau.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2023.
© 2023 The Canadian Press