Espoo faces €10,000 fine over repeated religious discrimination in school ceremonies

The Finnish Equality Board has imposed a €10,000 conditional fine on the city of Espoo for subjecting a student to years of religious discrimination by failing to provide prior notice of hymns in school celebrations, public broadcaster Yle reports.

The board found that Espoo schools exposed the student to religious songs—including the traditional Suvivirsi (Summer Hymn) and Varpunen jouluaamuna (The Sparrow on Christmas Morning)—during spring and Christmas ceremonies for six consecutive years without advance warning. Under Finnish guidelines, schools must announce religious content in secular events to allow students to leave discreetly if desired.

In addition to the fine, the board recommended Espoo pay €2,500 in compensation to the student and €750 to the parent, Lauri Ojala, who has pursued the case since 2019. Ojala told Yle that despite repeated assurances from the city to reform its practices, schools continued to include unannounced hymns in ceremonies as recently as 2024.

“None of the promises made were ever actually implemented, at least not for the celebrations,” Ojala said. He noted that while one of his children was unaffected by the songs, the other would have chosen to leave had proper notice been given.

Ojala has vowed to escalate the complaint if Espoo refuses to pay the compensation, arguing that the city’s repeated violations of its own policies—including rehearsing Suvivirsi during class time without disclosure—warrant accountability. “It would be strange if they didn’t pay,” he said. “But I’m prepared for that outcome, and the process will continue.”

Espoo officials told Yle they are reviewing the board’s decision before determining next steps but reiterated that schools receive regular reminders to follow event guidelines. The city’s education director was unavailable for further comment.