Michelle McHale, the Steinbach-area parent who last year launched a lawsuit against the Hanover School Division over its policy to ban discussion of LGBT subjects from its curriculum, has expanded her fight to include the provincial government. McHale argues that not only should Hanover have to change its ways, but the province should enforce the same inclusive standard to all school divisions across the province.
Like the first lawsuit, this second complaint has been filed with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission.
While individual school divisions are currently free to set their own policies, the province’s guidelines lump LGBT content into the “sensitive content” category. As a result, parents are given the right to opt out of exposing their children to that material.
McHale, who has said she is disheartened that the second complaint is necessary, argues that this practice is discriminatory.
“Our position is that everyone should be able to see themselves and their families positively reflected in their education,” McHale has said. “And people shouldn’t have the ability to just opt out of learning about who [other] people are.”
The recent lawsuit asks the province to make changes to its curriculum requirements, making it more inclusive.
