Day 3 of LaGrange v. Red Deer Catholic: The meme had, “nothing to do with the Holocaust”

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LaGrange’s counsel James Kitchen addressed the sanctions, which included that she:

be censured from being part of all and any board committees, and from attending and participating in board committee meetings; that includes all ASBA and ACSTA meetings and conferences
not represent the board or school division in any official capacity, including to the media and at functions (including graduations and masses)
within 90 days take sensitivity training on the Holocaust, 2SLGBTQ+, use of social media, and human rights
at end of 90 days, issue sincere letter of apology
not post any content of similar nature to original meme

LaGrange did not take part in any sensitivity training, nor did she issue an apology.

Kitchen stated on day one that if the first set of sanctions is to be quashed, the second set, which included her dismissal, should automatically be wiped out… because it never would have transpired if not for the first set that LaGrange went on to breach.

“Whatever [the meme] has to do with the LGBT community, it has nothing to do with the Holocaust,” said Kitchen.

“If you have to be trained about the Holocaust, there must be something wrong with you.”

Kitchen said for LaGrange to follow through on the training would’ve been humiliating.

“[She is a] woman, who’s an adult, a mother, a wife, not a college grad, not 22-years-old, and she wasn’t raised in some far off part of the world, [but] we’re going to send her to Holocaust training as if she’s some ignoramus who doesn’t know what happened?” Kitchen questioned.

He also reiterated his prior point that LaGrange could not have apologized or else she would’ve been lying.

“Informing the public that the trustee is sorry that they offended anyone because they didn’t follow proper procedure or that they had breached any of the sanctions does not take away the ability of the trustee to hold to her faith,” Teresa Haykowsky, counsel for Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, said Friday.

“This is not about woke politics. It is about procedures that the board made, as reflected in board policies three and four, and as with all school board trustees, that once elected, they are legislatively required to be bound by a code of conduct.”

Haykowsky emphasized that the decisions of Red Deer Catholic were not made to cancel LaGrange, nor were they about Catholicity.

“It’s about procedures implemented by the board which were not followed by the applicant,” she said.

Kitchen emphasized once again that the division never explained how or why it had come to its conclusions and sanctions.

“Mature adults who are trying to appeal to reason don’t run around making a bunch of accusations and saying ‘You must apologize’ and ‘You must step down and go away.’ They explain their point,” he said.

“If I had to give a quick definition of cancel culture, it’s this: You’ve said something that hurts me, offends me and because I feel those emotions, you must be quiet, and must not say that again. You must validate my emotions by not saying that thing ever again. My emotions matter more than any requirement to explain myself, any right or ability you have to explain what you said. That’s the essence of cancel culture.”

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The Judicial Review was scheduled for three days, however the parties only got through addressing the first set of sanctions.

The case will continue for at least one-and-a-half more days, if not more, with dates currently set for June 18 and 19. Proceedings may transition to in-person.

Kitchen argued at the beginning of proceedings Friday that any further time spent on this in court would provide the school board with a “tactical advantage” because, as he claims, it has unlimited financial resources.

Kitchen later clarified that his point was not because he has a lack of funding for his work, but also noted that it’s more time that LaGrange will potentially miss as a trustee if it’s ruled she should be reinstated.

Justice Cheryl Arcand-Kootenay reminded that it is Kitchen’s client, Monique LaGrange, who applied to the courts for this, and that they would take the time they need without constraints.

rdnewsNOW will have more coverage on this matter when it resumes.

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by Josh Hall | @Vancan19

Day 3 of LaGrange v. Red Deer Catholic: The meme had, “nothing to do with the Holocaust”

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