By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

"unbecoming"

Trustee LaGrange removed as ACSTA director, Minister of Education also speaks

Sep 7, 2023 | 8:17 PM

Word came down late Thursday that Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) Trustee Monique LaGrange has been removed from her position within the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association (ACSTA).

Late Thursday, rdnewsNOW also received new comment from both the school division and the Minister of Education, Demetrios Nicolaides — which can be found below.

It came to light last Friday that LaGrange — a “distant relative” to Health Minister and former RDCRS trustee Adriana LaGrange — shared an offensive post on Facebook comparing the 2SLGBTQ+ community to Nazism.

You can catch up on our coverage below, with reaction from several local and government officials, as well as RCMP who confirm they are, “reviewing the matter.”

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• Sept. 2: Red Deer Catholic school trustee likens Pride movement to Nazism
• Sept. 6: Red Deer Catholic writes Education Minister on dismissal of trustee who posted Nazi, 2SLGBTQ+ comparison

In a statement Thursday evening, ACSTA President Harry Salm writes that LaGrange has been removed as a director of the association, in which she was representing Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools.

The ACSTA’s board held a vote on the matter today.

“Our Catholic schools love all students as gifts from God made in His image, irrespective of their sexual orientation and gender expression. Separate school boards are committed to providing ‘a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging’ in accordance with Section 33(1)(d) of the Education Act. Trustee LaGrange’s social media post was unbecoming of an ACSTA director,” says Salm.

He goes on to say that this was not a decision taken lightly, and Red Deer Catholic is invited to select a replacement for LaGrange to represent them.

“Given the manner in which the previous director’s post has the potential to undermine the charitable learning environment offered by Alberta’s Catholic school system, we consider this to be the most appropriate response,” Salm concludes.

Trustee LaGrange has not yet commented on the matter. rdnewsNOW reached out to her Sept. 1 & 2.

Meantime, Minister Nicolaides, who confirms he met with the now former chair of the RDCRS board Anne Marie Watson this week, is confirming in a statement that RDCRS indeed has full authority and autonomy to disqualify a sitting trustee, as per sections 87(1) and 87(1)(c) of the Education Act.

Those sections state:

87(1) A person is disqualified from remaining as a trustee of a board if that person

(c) has breached the code of conduct of the board established under section 33, where the sanction for the breach under the code of conduct may be determined bty the board to be disqualification;

“The board has indicated that they are seeking advice on the code of conduct, and then will proceed accordingly. The board has assured me that they will handle this in a quick and effective manner,” says Nicolaides. “It is important to note that under the Education Act I do not have the authority to remove or dismiss a single trustee, and only the board has the ability to do so.”

Nicolaides stated on X (formerly Twitter) last Friday that he was “beyond disappointed” to see LaGrange’s post, adding that he “categorically condemns” it.

Red Deer Catholic, which said Wednesday that it has written the Minister of Education, “as to the dismissal of Trustee LaGrange,” responded to a number of questions rdnewsNOW had submitted yesterday.

“The board is taking this matter very seriously. As such, we are looking at all the tools we can use to remedy the situation including inquiring with the Ministry of Education. We will be sending our letter to the Minister this afternoon and will await their response. In the meantime, we will continue to look at our other options,” RDCRS says Thursday.

“Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools is committed to fostering welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments within our division. As always, our students and staff, their education, and their safety will and always remain our priorities.”

rdnewsNOW will have more on this story as it continues to develop.

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