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The school decided, according to the complaint, to be jerks about it.

Administrators said fine, the parents could apply to get their daughter out of religion class, but the school would say no. She’s a Catholic — just look at her grades in religion class! — and only non-Catholics can opt out of religion classes. The Sorgini parents waved the Education Act at them. The school then said OK fine, but it’s all or nothing. Either you take religion and go to services and everything, or you don’t go to anything. No Earth Day assembly, no grad breakfast, no commencement ceremony. You’ll have to sit in the office instead.

The Sorginis took the school board to the human-rights tribunal, represented by Ottawa lawyer Paul Champ, alleging that Claudia was being discriminated against because of her religious beliefs. There was more to the case, and pettier, but that was the nut of it.

The board and the Sorginis have just settled, so exactly how much of a precedent this sets remains to be seen. But the board has agreed to make it easy to opt out of religious instruction, to get tribunal sign-off on its revised process, and then to share that process with other Catholic boards.

In Ottawa, the English Catholic board’s policy gives principals discretion over exempting students from religion class; they and their parents need to apply, and give reasons. “Our senior administration will be reviewing our policy in light of the recent decision and in consultation with the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association,” spokeswoman Mardi de Kemp said Wednesday.