Girl Discriminated Because of Religious Views Gets Compensation

In March 2016 Bethany Paquette, a graduate of a Christian university was awarded $8,500 by a British Columbia human rights tribunal. It is because a company did not hire her because of her religious views. She applied in September 2014 for a position of an assistant at Amaruk Wilderness Corp. It has its headquarters in Norway and an office in Vancouver. 

This graduate of Trinity Western University received an email from Olaf Amundsen, wilderness guide that she does not qualify. He wrote to her that: "Unlike Trinity Western University, we embrace diversity, and the right of people to sleep with or marry whoever they want, and this is reflected within some of our staff and management."

He also added that: "In addition, the Norse background of most of the guys at the management level means that we are not a Christian organization, and most of us actually see Christianity as having destroyed our culture, tradition and way of life."

His attitude was influence by the fact that the University was going to open a law school with a covenant for its community forbidding sex outside of marriage. It is even more obvious from emails exchanged between him and the appellant where he argued that the university is discriminatory while she tried to defend it.

The tribunal member tribunal member Norman Trerise awarded a compensation for injury to her dignity and self-respect. It is because the tribunal found that the fact that she graduated from this Christian university had an impact on the employer’s decision not to hire her. 

Besides, the email sent to the claimant by Olaf Amundsen amounted to religious harassment. Therefore, the tribunal ordered the corporation to stop discriminatory practices.

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