Hamilton, Canada, May 2, 2018 / 16:00 pm
A Catholic school board in Ontario has suspended a policy prohibiting students from raising money for groups that support activities contrary to Catholic doctrine.
The Halton Catholic District School Board approved a"sanctity of life" policy in January, forbidding student organizations and its 50 schools from fundraising for "any charities or non-profits that publicly support, either directly or indirectly, abortion, contraception, sterilization, euthanasia, or embryonic stem cell research."
The policy was suspended May 1, after parents, students, and the Ontario Minister of Education criticized the board's decision, alleging that the board had not properly sought community input before passing the policy.
In April, Ontario's education minister, Indira Naidoo-Harris, wrote to the school board, asking members to "pause implementation of its new policy and continue with its consultation to ensure the various voices in the school community are heard and considered."