Red Deer school board trustee won't apologize for posting 'brainwashing' meme: Lawyer
The lawyer for a Red Deer School Board member says she won't be saying sorry after posting a meme comparing teaching children about the LGBTQ2S+ community to brainwashing in Nazi Germany.
Monique LaGrange, a trustee with the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS), was recently found to have violated the board's Trustee Code of Conduct when she posted the meme back in August.
The Alberta Teachers' Association and LGBTQ2S+ community members and allies called for her removal over the post, but LaGrange was allowed to remain in her role under several conditions.
Those included completing sensitivity training about the Holocaust and LGBTQ2S+ discrimination, as well as issuing a public letter of apology.
Her lawyer said Saturday she will not be apologizing and will seek a judicial review of the RDCRS board's Sept. 24 decision.
"She didn't do anything wrong. If she apologized, it would be dishonest," James Kitchen said. "And she has too much integrity to do that."
Kitchen said his client has been clear with the board in refusing the condition and does not think she did anything wrong in sharing the meme.
"They're setting her up for failure," he added. "They're imposing a condition on her that they already know – or ought to know – that she cannot meet."
LaGrange is also "undecided" on whether she will attend the mandated sensitivity training, Kitchen said.
"The issue with that is, you know, what's the point?" he said, explaining that LaGrange won't apologize regardless of any training. "Obviously to go through some sort of reeducation like that is going to be very unpleasant, so why bother?"
Kitchen said the judicial review will argue that the board's decision was unlawful, unreasonable and should be overturned.
The reasons behind RDCRS's decision have not yet been released. Once they are, Kitchen said he will begin working on the review and expects to file around November.
Any additional sanctions arising before then, relating to LaGrange's refusal to attend sensitivity training or issue an apology, will be included in the review, he said.
LaGrange remains in her role on the RDCRS board.
However, she is not allowed to take part in board committees, attend board committee meetings or represent the board in any official way until she completes sensitivity training.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
No, a best-selling American writing duo didn't pen a Galen Weston romance novel
You would be forgiven for thinking Christina Lauren's latest romance novel stars a hunky reimagining of Loblaw chairman Galen G. Weston.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Sunchips, Munchies recalled by Frito Lay Canada for possible salmonella contamination
Frito Lay Canada is recalling two of its most popular snacks due to a possible risk of salmonella contamination.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.