VANCOUVER — The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has awarded $8,500 to a graduate of a Christian university after finding a Norwegian company refused to hire her in part because of her religion.
Bethany Paquette applied in 2014 for an assistant guide position with Amaruk Wilderness Corp., which operates its Canadian office in Vancouver.
The graduate of Trinity Western University received an emailed response from a wilderness guide who informed her she was not qualified.
The guide said in the letter that unlike the university, the company embraces the right of people to sleep with or marry whomever they want.
The B.C. university's plans to open a law school have drawn national criticism of its so-called community covenant that forbids sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman.
Although the tribunal ruled that religious discrimination was a factor in the decision not to hire Paquette, it also found she was not qualified for the position and declined to award her lost wages.
