Christian teachers and spouses Matt and Nicole Alexander, who say they were wrongfully terminated by the the Renfrew County District School Board (RCDSB) after refusing to “celebrate and affirm” LGBTQ issues, have just had a small but significant win.

The Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) has rejected the attempts of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the RCDSB District, to have the Alexanders’ case dismissed, clearing the way for a full hearing.

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“This decision is important, as it is the only avenue for action we can bring against the teachers' union,” Matt Alexander told Rebel News. “If these complaints were allowed to be dismissed, then there would be no accountability for the union having dropped our cases.”

The RCDSB and teachers union both tried to dismiss our Labour Board complaints.

They failed.

Our first small, but important, victory.

My wife and I were fired from teaching for refusing to CELEBRATE LGBTQ with kids.

We stood on God's Word.

LOST FREEDOM FILES # 2023 https://t.co/YMfajGtu5P pic.twitter.com/uaCsSue7Jf

— Matt Alexander (@RealMattA_) September 10, 2025

Matt, a grade seven and eight teacher, was suspended in April 2023 after social media chatter surfaced about him, despite not having public accounts himself. Just weeks later, Nicole was suspended from her kindergarten classroom after moving a Pride poster that had been taped to her door without her consent.

Matt and Nicole Alexander aren’t just veteran teachers who had spotless records before they were suspended.  They’re also the parents of Josh Alexander, the St. Joseph’s Catholic High School student who made national headlines in 2022 after he was suspended for defending his female peers' rights to have their own washrooms in a different school district. The connection suggests that his parents may have been professionally targeted for their son's stance.

By October 2023, the RCDSB terminated both educators, explicitly stating it was for failing to celebrate and affirm LGBTQ issues.

The couple, represented by lawyers funded through the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, filed complaints alleging the teachers’ union abandoned its duty of fair representation by refusing to take their grievances to arbitration.

“This allows for a full hearing of our complaints against ETFO,” Matt explained. “The union refused to actively pursue, to arbitration, the violation of our human rights, as well as our Charter rights of free expression, freedom of association and freedom of conscience/religion.”

Constitutional lawyer Darren Leung reinforced the significance of the Board’s decision: “The Alexanders deserve the opportunity to have their concerns fully heard,” adding the decision ensures that will happen.