A Trinity Western University graduate has filed a human rights complaint against a Norwegian wilderness company she says targeted her religious beliefs.
In September, Bethany Paquette, who is 23 years old and graduated from Trinity Western in the spring with a degree in biology, applied to Amaruk Corp. for a position as a winter assistant guide intern.
The next day, she received an email reply from wilderness guide and instructor Olaf Amundsen.
Amundsen told Paquette that she did not meet the minimum requirements for the position outlined on the company芒鈧劉s website.
Paquette said the rejection was 芒鈧搉ot a big deal.芒鈧� It was what came next that shocked her.
芒鈧揂dditionally, considering you were involved with Trinity Western University, I should mention 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,芒鈧� Amundsen wrote.
The evangelical Christian university requires students and faculty to sign a Community Covenant that includes a pledge to abstain from 芒鈧搒exual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman.芒鈧�
Amundsen went on to say that Amaruk is not a Christian organization and he believes that Christianity destroyed the Norse culture, tradition and way of life.
After getting over her shock at the response, Paquette fired off an email to Amundsen, signing it 芒鈧揋od Bless芒鈧� in, she admits, an attempt to provoke him.
She received another response from Amundsen 芒鈧�� which stated that graduates from Trinity Western are not welcome at Amaruk 芒鈧�� plus emails from Amaruk芒鈧劉s Christopher Fragassi-Bjornsen, Dwayne Kenwood-Bjornsen and Arkyn Borg.
芒鈧揑 was definitely surprised with how many responses I got back and how much worse they got with each one,芒鈧� Paquette said. 芒鈧揑t was definitely really hurtful and it made me really angry to be discriminated against so harshly when I芒鈧劉d just applied for a job.芒鈧�
Paquette filed the human rights complaint Sept. 30 because she wants to make sure that Amaruk doesn芒鈧劉t discriminate against future job applicants.
In an emailed statement, Amaruk said Paquette was 芒鈧揺minently unqualified芒鈧� for an assistant guide internship position.
The statement does not address the comments made about Paquette芒鈧劉s religious beliefs or university education.
Trinity Western spokesman Guy Saffold said Paquette芒鈧劉s situation is 芒鈧揷ompletely unprecedented芒鈧� at the school and he hopes it芒鈧劉s an isolated incident.
Paquette said it has crossed her mind that listing Trinity Western as her alma mater on her resume could cause her problems in the future, but she said doesn芒鈧劉t want to work somewhere that wouldn芒鈧劉t hire her because of where she went to school.
芒鈧揑芒鈧劉m really happy I went to Trinity and it芒鈧劉s been an extremely good experience for me,芒鈧� she said. 芒鈧揧ou shouldn芒鈧劉t be ashamed of where you went to university.芒鈧�
Geoffrey Trotter, Paquette芒鈧劉s lawyer, said the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has not yet accepted the complaint 芒鈧�� screening takes about three weeks 芒鈧�� but he believes the tribunal won芒鈧劉t have a hard time seeing why Paquette was turned down for the job.
芒鈧揑t芒鈧劉s a really clear-cut case of religious discrimination,芒鈧� Trotter said. 芒鈧揟his is just as unacceptable as an employer rejecting an application because someone is female, black or gay.芒鈧�
芒鈧�� Jennifer Saltman is a Vancouver Province reporter.
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