Montreal’s largest school service centre, the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal, says it has lost more than 100 support staff after employees refused to remove religious symbols in compliance with Quebec’s new secularism law, Bill 94.

The law, passed in October 2025, expanded an existing ban on religious symbols, such as crosses and hijabs, to include all school staff who interact with students, including lunch monitors and special education technicians. According to the CSSDM, staff were informed they risked losing their jobs if they did not comply. While many agreed to remove religious symbols, around 150 employees did not.

Several school service centres had already reported dismissals, suspensions and resignations earlier in the year. The CSSDM confirmed it has also let staff go, though it stated it still has sufficient personnel to maintain student services.

Union representatives say the impact is being felt inside schools. Michel Picard, head of the APPA CSN union, said students have reacted emotionally after seeing familiar staff leave without explanation. Annie Charland of the FEESP union said affected workers were forced into choosing between their employment and religious expression.

The law includes a limited exemption for employees who were already in their roles before it was introduced, but it does not apply to those hired or who changed roles between March 19, 2025, when the bill was tabled, and October 30, when it was adopted.

Quebec’s Education Ministry said the law must be followed, while data from the ministry shows more than 1,100 support staff positions remain unfilled across the province. The government has also passed a separate measure, Bill 9, extending similar restrictions to daycare workers and limiting public prayer.