An Alberta Christian educator ordered by the province to allow gay-straight alliances in his schools has responded with a letter from his lawyer.
Education spokeswoman Larissa Liepins says the letter came Friday afternoon, just hours before a deadline imposed by the department.
Liepins won’t discuss the contents of the letter and says the government will respond on Monday.
READ MORE: LGBTQ policies at 4 Alberta schools graded by advocates: A+, B, D-, F
Pastor Brian Coldwell was ordered two weeks ago to give written assurances that the two private Christian schools under his supervision would follow the law and allow gay-straight alliances.
Coldwell is the chair of the Baptist Christian Education Society, which runs two publicly funded, faith-based schools.
The school board gets 70 per cent of its funding from the province.
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Coldwell has said he has a duty as a pastor to refuse the groups in his two Edmonton-area schools.
He said his schools will not comply with the law and equated the rules to religious persecution.
READ MORE: Alberta tells all school boards to create LGBTQ inclusive policies
Gay-straight alliances are support networks of gay and straight students aimed at making all students feel included and not ostracized or marginalized.
Watch below: Global’s past coverage of LGBTQ policies in Alberta schools
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