TORONTO, ON: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that lawyers funded by the Justice Centre will return to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) on Monday, February 23, 2026, to deliver final submissions in the case of Ontario teachers Matt and Nicole Alexander, who were terminated after respectfully refusing to “celebrate and affirm” LGBTQ issues that conflicted with their sincerely held Christian beliefs.
Matt and Nicole Alexander, who live in Cobden, Ontario, devoted many years to teaching and supporting students in their community. Both maintained unblemished disciplinary records and treated all students with dignity and respect throughout their careers.
The Alexanders’ ordeal began in late 2022 after their teenage son, Josh Alexander, who attended a different school board, publicly challenged his school’s policy allowing biological males who identify as female to use girls’ washrooms. In April 2023, Matt Alexander was suspended in circumstances that appear to be related to social media posts made about him, despite not maintaining any public social media accounts at the time. In May 2023, Nicole Alexander was suspended after quietly removing a pride poster that had been taped to the door of her kindergarten classroom without her consent, despite never having been instructed that the poster was required to remain in place.
Following their dismissal, the Alexanders’ union, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), declined to advance their grievances or defend their Charter-protected freedoms. Because most government workers are unionized, employees like the Alexanders can only pursue their Charter rights — including freedom of conscience and religion under section 2(a) and freedom of expression under section 2(b) — through their union.
With the assistance of lawyers funded by the Justice Centre, the Alexanders took their case forward, and on September 8, 2025, the OLRB ruled that the matter could proceed – rejecting attempts by both the ETFO and the Renfrew County District School Board to have the matter dismissed.
Matt Alexander said, “discrimination against those with traditional values continues to be pervasive in the job market. The choice to stand on truth has most definitely resulted in financial hardship and changed the trajectory of our lives.”
Constitutional lawyer Darren Leung said, “Because so many Canadians work in unionized public-sector jobs, the protection of Charter rights in the workplace is critical.”
“When unions have exclusive control over whether those rights are defended, they must be held accountable for ensuring their members’ fundamental freedoms are properly protected,” he added.
A virtual hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, February 23, 2026, when lawyers will complete final submissions. Members of the public may observe the hearing via Zoom and are asked to keep their microphones muted and cameras turned off unless otherwise directed by the Board. The public can join the meeting by clicking on the following Zoom link. You can also download the details here.
