N.B. reviews gender-identity policy in schools as supporters accuse minister of caving to anti-LGBTQ pressure

The Higgs government in New Brunswick says it is rethinking its school policy on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools because of a backlash against the guidelines.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development confirmed it's reviewing the policy, designed to support gay, lesbian and trans youth, "after hearing concerns and misunderstandings of its implementation."

The review was already underway before Education Minister Bill Hogan distanced himself and his department from a recent sexual orientation and gender identity learning session for teachers.

After a small crowd protested the session last Friday, Hogan issued a statement saying his department had nothing to do with the event.

He urged people with questions to contact the New Brunswick Teachers Association.

Now teachers, parents and others are accusing him of caving in to hate and putting teachers in an unsafe working environment.

"It would appear that they yielded to the pressure of the protesters," says Gail Costello, a co-chair of Pride in Education, a non-profit group of educators who helped organize the session.

"We would expect that they would show leadership, stand on the right side of the history, stand up for teachers and stand up for kids, but that's not what happened. They threw the NBTA under the bus."

Costello said Hogan's statement is also inaccurate because the department was directly involved in supporting the sessions, including by funding planning meetings at the departmental offices.

She said that in late April, however, the department told Pride in Education that there's to be no money for the sessions and it ordered departmental staff to not participate because the gender identity policy was under review.

Part of last Friday's program was to familiarize teachers with the sexual orientation and gender identity policy, Policy 713, so they'd know how to implement it in their classrooms.

The department did not make Hogan available for an interview Monday.

In a new statement, spokesperson Morgan Bell said the Education Department does not "condone the tactics that were directed at our teachers and we will always ensure human rights are protected."

She said the implementation of Policy 713 "revealed instances where the policy is perhaps too broad and/or unclear" and that was the reason for the review.