MPP says Waterloo region's Catholic school board 'wasting time and taxpayer dollars' with infighting

Kitchener Centre MPP Aislinn Clancy says she's concerned about the behaviour of trustees with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and how much money they're spending on legal fees.

Clancy stood during question period Tuesday in the Ontario Legislature and asked Education Minister Paul Calandra to "intervene" with the board. 

Clancy's statement came after a Monday night meeting where trustees discussed, and voted down, a motion to change its flag policy. There had been concerns that if the motion passed, flags — including the Pride flag  — would be banned from school properties.

"Ontario's education system is publicly funded and must be inclusive of all students. So I ask the minister, will you intervene and stop these trustees who are wasting time and taxpayer dollars fighting about what books should be in libraries and what flags should be on poles?" Clancy said.

Clancy added outside groups, including the anti-abortion Campaign Life Coalition, have been trying to influence board decisions.

In his response, Calandra did not say if he would intervene, but added he wants to make sure "school boards are focused on what matters to the people of the province of Ontario and that is ensuring that students, parents and teachers have the resources that they need in order to ensure maximum success for our students for the jobs of tomorrow."

In an interview on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition with Craig Norris on Friday, Clancy said it's not just the flag policy that is concerning.

Clancy said she was "troubled by the division on the board and their focus on a number of things and their treatment of each other as trustees."

LISTEN | MPP Aislinn Clancy calls on province to hold WCDSB trustees accountable:

Clancy said Friday her office did a freedom-of-information request and found the board has spent more than $200,000 on legal fees in the past two years related to code of conduct charges and legal bills associated with that.

"Some trustees, not all, were … focusing on books, and libraries and flags on posts, and also this infighting and this focusing on code of conduct sanctions, keeping trustees from participating in meetings, voting, speaking up and that is undermining democracy," Clancy said in the interview.

Clancy said she felt some of the actions being taken to sanction trustees was an effort to silence people.

"Don't get me wrong, it's great to get legal advice, but I think we always have to balance it out. If we are not functioning well or if there's a code of conduct charge, I think we need to be mindful of legal expenses. To me, it seemed like a high number."

Board of trustees chair Renée Kraft said Clancy did not speak to the board before making her statements at Queen's Park.