Larry Renaud was a unionized custodian in the Central Okanagan School District and a practicing Seventh-day Adventist.

He proposed several forms of accommodations in which he would work Sunday to Thursday as a religious exception to the collective agreement.

Renaud brought a complaint on the grounds the school board violated section 8 of the British Columbia Human Rights Act for discrimination based on religion.

The issues put to the Supreme Court was whether Renaud had been indirectly discriminated against and whether the school was under any duty to accommodate him.

Sopinka found that an employer was under a duty to accommodate employees religious beliefs short of undue hardship, even despite any collective agreement or private contract.