Trustees for western Manitoba school board under review accuse province of intimidation

Two trustees of a western Manitoba school board embroiled in controversy and under provincial review are accusing the province of intimidation.

Their accusations came Monday during a meeting of the Mountain View School Division board, which has been under scrutiny in recent months after a trustee's comments about residential schools and inclusivity at an April meeting.

A motion was put forward at Monday's meeting by a trustee asking the board to allow deputy education minister Brian O'Leary to speak — something not typically allowed without 10 days notice.

"We're under duress from the minister," trustee Jason Gryba said during the meeting, a recording of which CBC News watched via the division's website.

"[We're] under threat, actually, that if we don't allow [the deputy minister to speak], he's going to dissolve us." 

Gryba went on to say he wasn't sure "if this is a threat — that that's what he's going to do — or if this is a test to see if we're going to adhere to our own governance."

He suggested it was "a crucial test of 'are these guys actually going to uphold their own governance,' because if they can threaten us and get in, then anyone can threaten us and get in."

The motion was eventually passed after some pushback and lengthy debate, which included a threat by the chair to resign.

Trustee Kerri Wieler also alleged a threat was made to dissolve the board during a meeting in Winnipeg between trustees and the education minister. That, coupled with the communications about Monday's meeting, felt like "more an intimidation tactic than an effort to help our board," she said.

Gryba said he found it disrespectful for the government to "keep notifying the board that this is what we're doing and if you don't do it, we're gonna dissolve." 

"I have no use for bullies," he said. 

The province ordered a governance review of the board in April, and earlier this month appointed a panel to oversee the board, after trustee Paul Coffey gave a presentation at a board meeting where he said the residential school system began as a good thing. He also questioned the level of abuse at the schools and said the term "white privilege" is "racist." 

The comments were condemned by Indigenous leaders, the Manitoba Teachers' Society and now former Mountain View superintendent Stephen Jaddock, who was removed from his position earlier this month. Three longtime trustees also resigned. 

In a statement to CBC News Friday, the province wouldn't confirm if Education Minister Nello Altomare threatened to dissolve the board, but said at a meeting with trustees on June 11, he took a "balanced" approach and offered to work with the board.