The Eastern High Court has overturned a previous ruling, stating that Albertslund Municipality and Egelundskolen are not required to compensate two female Muslim student teachers who refused to shake hands with a male supervisor for religious reasons.

The case, which began in 2019, centered around the school’s demand that all student teachers shake hands, leading to the termination of the two women’s internships after they declined to do so. The Equal Treatment Board initially ruled in favor of the women, ordering the municipality to pay each of them DKK 25,000 in compensation for indirect discrimination based on religion and belief.

However, the municipality contested the ruling, arguing that the school’s requirement aligned with its values of equal treatment. Kammeradvokaten then brought the case before the High Court.

Two out of three High Court judges sided with the municipality and the school, emphasizing the importance of upholding values such as “equal treatment, neutrality and professionalism.” The judges also referenced the Folkeskole Act, which mandates that schools promote freedom of spirit, equality, and democracy.

The future of the case remains uncertain, as it is not yet clear whether it will be appealed to the Supreme Court.