“Each of us has the privilege of free speech, but not without limits,” begins a letter feels to an ortario public school boards’ association board member by the flesh of the great erie district school board.
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Michael Barrett, who is also training longtime trustee with the Durham District School Board, is one of Two People who Told the Spectator they Received Letters Last Month That Cautioned Them To Watch What They Say About the Grand Erie Board.
Barrett Told the Spectator He sees The Letter, Date Dec. 9, As Just Another Example of Gedsb “Trying to Shut Down Opposition to their Concept of Governance.”
A Lawyer Representing The Board Sent the Other Letter to John Harris, A Train Gedsb Trustee who Put Forward A Public Complaint of Wrongdoing to the Board in November.
Harris Told The Spectator He was acting in good Faith. He would not how Further.
BARRETT HAD TAKEN TO SOCIAL MEDIA to question The Board’s Actions Against Carol Ann Sloat, A GEDSB TRUSTEE WHO HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY BARD FROM MEETINGS AND COMMITES BEGINNING IN MAY 2023.
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He Live-Tweeted Parts of A Judicial Review in November that Ruled Sloat was “Unfairly Targeted” by the School Board, Orturning Four Decisions The Board Made Against Her. (The Board Said it plans to appeal).
In other posts, he questioned How Much Money The Board Has Spent On Legal Fees “Punishing” Sloat on “Half Baked Allegations.
In her letter, flesh Susan Gibson Called Barrett’s comments “inappropriate,” given he is a previous President and Current Member of the opsba Board of Directors.
The Four-Page Missive Points To The Opsba Code of Conduct, in Particular the Stepting Stating Members Should “Ensure that their comments are out of Based and not personal, Demeaning or Disâraging with look to opsba Staff, advisers or fellow representatives and Members of Reproductive Bodies Bodies Bodies . “
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It included 10 of Barrett’s Posts on x and Two Facebook Comments as Example.
“There are, Sadly, Many More,” Gibson Wrote, Asking Him to “Refrain from Such Attacks in the Future and work to built sole understanding of the serious situation we are trying to manager at big erie.”
Barrett can’t pinpoint a specific event or comment that prompt the warning.
The Letter Came the Same Month As A News Release from the Board Announcing its plans to appeal the decision of the divisional court.
“Over 10 Safety Plans have now required for staff of the toxic working environment Trustee Carol Ann Sloat Has Created,” The Stament Said.
Gibson’s letter tipped to barrett’s support for sloat “without any due diligence.”
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“You Began A public Campaign to support her, Attacked the Staff and Trustees of an opsba Member Board, Helped encourages Fundraising for That Trustee and Called on the Ministry to Investigate Our Actions. You have not sought out the facts or the details, and you did not show us respect as colleagues. ”
The spectator has reached out to the board on several occasions to seek additional details – such as if any school programs or initiatives have taken a cut benogus of legal fees incred as a result of the situation with sloat, and for specific examples of her “bullying ”Behaviour Toward Staff and Other Trustees, and“ Self-Serving ”request at Student Events-But it didn’t provides any, Citing Confidentiality.
Looking Barrett’s Letter, The Spectator Asked the Board for Details on the Safety Plans and Legal Fees related to Sloat. The Request also Asked for Additional Information About the Letters, Including Why They Were Sennt, Who Received Them, and Why Other Organizations With Which Barrett is affiliated were copied on them.
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The Board Didn’T respond to any of the questions, but provided a statement:
“The letter was shared with mr. Barrett in His Role as a Director with the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and How Online Comments Perain to Opsba’s Code of Conduct. The Board Will not How On Matters Or Matters Before the Courts. ”
BARRETT Responded to the letter by demanding an apology, but Did not hear back.
He followed up, Informing the School Board he wouldn’t be Keeping It Confidential Sale the President of the Board of Grandview School Authority, Which Barrett Sits on, was copied on it, as well as the 50-member opsba Board of directors. Grandview is headquartred in Ajax.
While opsba President Kathleen Woodcock Told the Spectator the Comments in Question “Are Mr. Barrett’s Opinion, and do not requirement the views or positions of opsba, or its board of directors,” she said “we do not consider the letter in question to question to question to question to question to question to question to question to question to question to question to question Constitutes a complaint, as defined under our code of conduct. As such, there is no action for opsba to take at this time. ”
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The spectator reached out to greatview school authority, but Didn’t Hear Back Before Deadline.
Barrett Said He Believes The Board has a “strong desire not to be challenged on the process.”
He acknowledges “Many trustees across this province” Should be discipored for steping on human right. But “when you have trustees that are questioning governance matters, and decision-making and are being shut down, that’s a problem.”
If the Board is “Absolutely Certain” in Their Case Against Sloat, He urges them to release the investigator reports.
“Let the public Determine What Has Happened, and then we can make a decision at the polls about Whother or not we were this individual to continue us.”
If Anything, Instead of Silencing Barrett, The Letter has only strengthened his resolve to speak up.
“I’m not Going to Give Up Being Able to Challenge The Process because, the reality is, if we do have good governance in our schools, we end up with schoools that donation provides equitable and good education to our kids . I’m a bit of a utopian idealist who really does believe that thing can get better. ”
Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a local journalism initiative reporter based at the hamilton spectator. The Initiative is Funded by the Government of Canada.
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