A divorced father who didn't want his son to return to school because of COVID-19 has lost a legal fight with the child’s mother after an Ontario judge determined that returning to class was best for the child.
CTV News is reporting the precedent-setting decision is the first of its kind in Ontario during the pandemic, and legal experts say it offers guidance for parents in similar disputes.
The parents, who’ve been divorced for three years, disagreed over whether or not their child should return to school this fall.
The mother argued her son was feeling socially isolated and needed to return to school.
The father acknowledged the isolation had been tough for his son but argued that the boy understood staying home keeps him and others safe.
Initially the parents tried to settle the dispute themselves, but when that failed, the mother decided to file an urgent legal motion.