A student at College de Maisonneuve was recently told to leave the room during a biology exam because she refused to pull back her hijab.

The incident happened two weeks ago when a teacher wanted to check for headphones under the student's hijab. Saja Farhat said she offered to let him feel over her scarf to check but the teacher refused.

"More than 50 eyeballs were all directed toward me. I felt so small and tiny," said Farhat.

"I said 'No, I cannot show you my ears because my religion does not permit it."

The teacher insisted the rules were the rules, and took away her exam, with Farhat then being told to leave the class.

The biology department at College de Maisonneuve has an internal rule where teachers must verify that no students are wearing headphones during exams, with teachers obliged to look under hats, long hair and headscarves.

Line Légaré, spokesperson for the school, said the measure was created to prevent cheating.

"So a student with a hood over their head, we ask, we can ask them to take it off. Same with a toque, or ask them to move their hair," said Légaré.

Farhat believes she was specifically targetted because no other student was asked to do the same thing.

"There were women with long hair in that class," said Farhat.

She reported the incident to the school's administration, saying this was not the first time she had been singled out by the teacher and she felt she was the victim of discrimination.

Farhat also reached out to Women's Justice, (Justice Femme) to file a complaint.

Hanadi Saad of the group said discrimination is not acceptable.

"We will take all the issues we have to take our rights because we want to be sure that this type of incident will not happen again," said Saad. "We refuse any kind of discrimination against women wearing the veil."

The school's director said the student will be allowed to write her exam and that headscarves won't keep women from writing exams in the future.

But Farhat would prefer an apology from the teacher, and to make sure no other hijab-wearing student goes through the same process.  

Premier Philippe Couillard said Monday he believed the teacher and school were working out the situation adquately.

"This shows that the people on the ground are the best placed to manage these questions," said Couillard.