Latest news with #MountainViewSchoolDivision
CBC
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Cancelling God Save the King anthem for schools violated the law, Manitoba trustee says in court action
A western Manitoba school trustee is taking court action against his fellow trustees, claiming they violated the Public Schools Act by halting a plan to bring God Save the King back into the classrooms of Mountain View School Division. Paul Coffey filed an application on June 2 with the Court of King's Bench for a hearing on the matter, now set for June 23 in Dauphin. His application names trustees Scott Lynxleg, Gabe Mercier, Floyd Martens, Conrad Nabess, John Taylor, and Jarri Thompson as respondents. Coffey accuses them of acting outside the scope of their legal authority, breaching their duties, undermining the board's legitimacy and exposing it to legal and reputational risk. Coffey wants authorization to apply to another judge for a declaration the other trustees violated the act, and to have their decision overturned. CBC News has reached out to the respondents. In an emailed response, Lynxleg said, "We have been advised to make no comment until court proceedings are completed." In mid-January, Jason Gryba, the chair of the Dauphin-based division's board, issued a directive that the royal anthem must be included in morning announcements at division schools, along with O Canada and land acknowledgements. The move was based on the Patriotic Observances Regulation, a little-used rule in Manitoba legislation that says O Canada must be played at the start of the school day, while God Save the King should be played at the end of the day or the end of opening exercises. The practice has not been enforced for decades, and the Manitoba School Boards Association has said it was unaware of any other boards that maintain the tradition. In a 6-3 vote on Jan. 27, the board voted to stay the plan, and see whether it is legally required and supported by area residents. Gryba and Coffee voted against, while trustee Kerri Wieler abstained. The six trustees named as respondents voted in favour. The anthem is considered a musical salute to the British monarch. Indigenous groups have spoken out against colonization at the hands of the monarchy. Jarri Thompson, a First Nations trustee, put forward a motion to halt the move. It was seconded by Lynxleg, another First Nations trustee. In his application, Coffey states the Patriotic Observances Regulation is still a requirement and "the law is not optional." Under the Public Schools Act, trustees are legally bound to uphold all legislation and their oaths. No legal authority permits a school board to stay a provincial regulation — any changes to legislation must follow lawful procedures, not unilateral resolutions, the application states. The trustees were warned about that "at least 11 times" before the vote, yet breached their duties anyway, the application alleges. Because of that, the public and courts cannot have confidence that future decisions by the board will comply with the law, it claims. The board — which oversees 16 schools with a $50-million budget, 3,100 students and 700 staff — must adhere to the law in order to preserve confidence in its legitimacy and accountability, the application states. Discord on the board Coffey, in his application, called the vote part of "a broader pattern of governance failures and jurisdictional overreach" by some trustees. Discord among board members last year ultimately prompted the government of Manitoba to appoint a third-party panel to oversee operations. That, in turn, led Gryba and Wieler to accuse province of intimidation. In April 2024, Coffey gave a presentation at a board meeting where he said the residential school system began as a good thing. He also questioned the level of abuse at the schools and said the term "white privilege" is "racist." In June of last year, Gryba, Taylor, Wieler and Coffey also voted to fire the division's superintendent, which led to three trustees quitting days later. And in September, the board defied the provincially appointed panel by holding a meeting with just four trustees, fewer than the required quorum. The tumult on the board has been attributed to new trustees butting heads with the old guard. Lynxleg, one of the trustees elected in October to fill the vacancies, has said he would like to see the province eradicate the Patriotic Observances Regulation altogether. The province appears to agree. In March, the NDP government introduced a bill in the legislature to formally eliminate the requirement, but it has yet to be debated, after the Opposition Progressive Conservatives used their right under House rules to hold the bill back at the end of the legislature's spring sitting. The bill would also end a requirement that the Lord's Prayer be recited. Mandatory prayer in schools was struck down by the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench in 1992 but the rule has not been formally removed. It would also require all school boards to have policies respecting land and treaty acknowledgements — something most already have in place.
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
School trustee takes colleagues to court over singing of God Save the King
A trustee on Dauphin's beleaguered school board is taking his colleagues to court over their refusal to support a return to students singing God Save the King on a daily basis. Manitoba children and youth are — at least on paper — required to recite an ode to the reigning constitutional monarch on all regular school days, either during morning announcements or before dismissal. The Kinew government is in the process of scrapping the dusty clause in the Public Schools Act that has not been enforced for more than 25 years. (The opposition Progressive Conservatives have delayed Bill 40, which would repeal the Schools Patriotic Observances Regulation, until the fall.) Despite its impending demise, Ethelbert-based trustee Paul Coffey wants to revive Canada's royal anthem in the Mountain View School Division in the name of following the law. 'The law is not optional. No board has the authority to suspend provincial statutes or regulations,' he wrote in an affidavit that was recently submitted to the Court of King's Bench in Dauphin. 'If the board disagrees with a regulation, the proper response is to advocate for lawful change.' Coffey filed an ex-parte application — a proceeding that is only permitted when the complainant is seeking urgent relief — on June 2. He is accusing six fellow board members of purposefully breaching their respective oaths of office by voting on Jan. 27 to pause a sudden, mid-year reintroduction of God Save the King across the division amid public outcry. The defendants include trustees Scott Lynxleg, Floyd Martens, Gabe Mercier, Conrad Nabess, John Taylor and Jarri Thompson. Chairperson Jason Gryba and vice-chairperson Kerri Wieler are the only elected officials on the nine-seat board not directly involved in the legal action. 'On its face, the lawsuit does appear frivolous,' said Cameron Hauseman, an associate professor of educational administration at the University of Manitoba. 'I'd argue it's nothing more than a waste of judicial resources in an effort to score some cheap political points.' An effective school board weighs its legislative responsibilities against other goals in the education system, such as fostering student well-being and belonging, Hauseman said. Manitoba is the only province that, in 1964 — a decade into the late Queen Elizabeth's reign — legislated the royal anthem into everyday proceedings at kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schools. Asked about why Mountain View's 16 schools were given marching orders to honour King Charles on a daily basis, starting Jan. 16, Gryba provided little explanation. The chair of the board issued a generic statement in the winter that stressed the importance of following rules. The directive was overturned after community members raised concerns that subjecting Indigenous students and staff members to a daily musical salute to the Crown and, by extension, the fallout of colonialism, would cause unnecessary harm. Coffey's affidavit called that resolution 'part of a broader pattern of governance failures and jurisdictional overreach by the MVSD board.' The board has faced significant scrutiny dating back to a public presentation he made in April 2024 during which he decried anti-racism initiatives and spoke positively about residential schools. 'Manitoba teachers know the ugliness of colonization and we know what these antiquated exercises in Manitoba do to students and to members,' said Lillian Klausen, president of the Manitoba Teachers' Society. The union, which represents 16,600 public school teachers in the province, is both in support of trustees who want to create safe spaces and the province dismantling the outdated regulation, Klausen said. One of the defendants told the Free Press the group has been advised by counsel not to speak about the matter publicly. Alan Campbell, president of the Manitoba School Boards Association, refused to weigh in on a case that is in front of the courts. The office of Education Minister Tracy Schmidt — who has indicated she has no interest in enforcing the Schools Patriotic Observances Regulation — declined comment for the same reason. Coffey said in an email Monday that his court application was made in his capacity as a voting member of the division, in accordance with provisions under the Public Schools Act. As far as Hauseman is concerned, all six of the trustees who are named in his case should be applauded 'for their moral courage' in lieu of kowtowing to an archaic policy. 'That's the last thing we want to see in our elected officials,' said the U of M researcher who studies school governance. 'We want to see them stand up for what's right.' A hearing is scheduled for June 23 at the Dauphin courthouse. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trustee takes colleagues to court over singing of God Save the King
A trustee on Dauphin's beleaguered school board is taking his colleagues to court over their refusal to support a return to students singing God Save the King on a daily basis. Manitoba children and youth are — at least on paper — required to recite an ode to the reigning constitutional monarch on all regular school days, either during morning announcements or before dismissal. The Kinew government is in the process of scrapping the dusty clause in the Public Schools Act that has not been enforced for more than 25 years. (The opposition Progressive Conservatives have delayed Bill 40, which would repeal the Schools Patriotic Observances Regulation, until the fall.) Despite its impending demise, Ethelbert-based trustee Paul Coffey wants to revive Canada's royal anthem in the Mountain View School Division in the name of following the law. 'The law is not optional. No board has the authority to suspend provincial statutes or regulations,' he wrote in an affidavit that was recently submitted to the Court of King's Bench in Dauphin. 'If the board disagrees with a regulation, the proper response is to advocate for lawful change.' Coffey filed an ex-parte application — a proceeding that is only permitted when the complainant is seeking urgent relief — on June 2. He is accusing six fellow board members of purposefully breaching their respective oaths of office by voting on Jan. 27 to pause a sudden, mid-year reintroduction of God Save the King across the division amid public outcry. The defendants include trustees Scott Lynxleg, Floyd Martens, Gabe Mercier, Conrad Nabess, John Taylor and Jarri Thompson. Chairperson Jason Gryba and vice-chairperson Kerri Wieler are the only elected officials on the nine-seat board not directly involved in the legal action. 'On its face, the lawsuit does appear frivolous,' said Cameron Hauseman, an associate professor of educational administration at the University of Manitoba. 'I'd argue it's nothing more than a waste of judicial resources in an effort to score some cheap political points.' An effective school board weighs its legislative responsibilities against other goals in the education system, such as fostering student well-being and belonging, Hauseman said. Manitoba is the only province that, in 1964 — a decade into the late Queen Elizabeth's reign — legislated the royal anthem into everyday proceedings at kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schools. Asked about why Mountain View's 16 schools were given marching orders to honour King Charles on a daily basis, starting Jan. 16, Gryba provided little explanation. The chair of the board issued a generic statement in the winter that stressed the importance of following rules. The directive was overturned after community members raised concerns that subjecting Indigenous students and staff members to a daily musical salute to the Crown and, by extension, the fallout of colonialism, would cause unnecessary harm. Coffey's affidavit called that resolution 'part of a broader pattern of governance failures and jurisdictional overreach by the MVSD board.' The board has faced significant scrutiny dating back to a public presentation he made in April 2024 during which he decried anti-racism initiatives and spoke positively about residential schools. 'Manitoba teachers know the ugliness of colonization and we know what these antiquated exercises in Manitoba do to students and to members,' said Lillian Klausen, president of the Manitoba Teachers' Society. The union, which represents 16,600 public school teachers in the province, is both in support of trustees who want to create safe spaces and the province dismantling the outdated regulation, Klausen said. One of the defendants told the Free Press the group has been advised by counsel not to speak about the matter publicly. Alan Campbell, president of the Manitoba School Boards Association, refused to weigh in on a case that is in front of the courts. The office of Education Minister Tracy Schmidt — who has indicated she has no interest in enforcing the Schools Patriotic Observances Regulation — declined comment for the same reason. Coffey said in an email Monday that his court application was made in his capacity as a voting member of the division, in accordance with provisions under the Public Schools Act. As far as Hauseman is concerned, all six of the trustees who are named in his case should be applauded 'for their moral courage' in lieu of kowtowing to an archaic policy. 'That's the last thing we want to see in our elected officials,' said the U of M researcher who studies school governance. 'We want to see them stand up for what's right.' A hearing is scheduled for June 23 at the Dauphin courthouse. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
