Swiss federal court rejects school headscarf ban

Court rejected a St.Gallen cantonal commune’s ban on wearing Muslim heajab

 

The Swiss Federal Court rejected a St.Gallen cantonal commune’s ban on wearing Muslim headscarves, or hijabs, in school.

The decision finalizes a case that began in 2013, when the school authorities of the commune of St Margrethen objected to 14-year-old Muslim student who wore her hijab to class. The school’s complaint was based on a communal regulation banning the wearing of religious garments.

The cantonal administrative court refuted the school’s protests after the student’s parents refused to allow her to attend school without the hijab.

The Federal Court decided four-to-one against the school’s appeal of the cantonal administrative court’s decision. The higher court argued that the ban against wearing a hijab was not a prerequisite for effective teaching.