The Waterloo Catholic District School Board has a new chair as it faces growing division over a controversial motion that could see Pride flags removed from Catholic schools.
Trustee Renee Kraft was selected to lead the board during a meeting Monday night, following the sudden resignation of former chair Bob Sikora last month.
Kraft and acting chair Linda Cuff both received four votes each from trustees, forcing a tie-breaker decided by drawing numbers. Kraft’s name was ultimately drawn, making her the new chair at a time when the board is navigating heightened tensions in the community.
A large crowd gathered outside the board office ahead of the meeting, echoing scenes from a March 24 meeting that drew hundreds. While the turnout was smaller this time, there was a more visible presence of those opposing the flying of Pride flags in schools, alongside a smaller counter-demonstration.
“I think it’s really important for all children to feel that they belong in their schools, that they’re safe in their schools,” said parent, Andrea Stirling." And we know that the Pride flag is a symbol of that, especially for children in our community who may be part of the LGBTQ community."
The controversial motion regarding the Pride flag was not up for debate at Monday’s meeting. Still, many in attendance came to make their voices heard ahead of the board’s next scheduled meeting on April 28.
“So I think it’s not only just for Pride, but for everybody who identifies as anyone other than Canadian,” said one student. “It’s so important here, and it’s so important that you voice and speak out so we can have this for everybody.”
“We’re here to support Trustee Conrad Stanley’s motion to ban all political flags and symbols, including the LGBTQ Pride flag to show him support,” said parent, Jack Fonsceca.
MPP for Kitchener Centre, Aislinn Clancy, pushed back against the proposed Pride flag ban at Monday’s meeting, alongside grassroots advocacy groups.
“This motion is homophobic and transphobic and an overreach of power by an unelected trustee,” Clancy said in a media release issued Tuesday. “Our schools should be inclusive of everyone.”
In March, Clancy wrote an official letter to the Minister of Education, calling on him to intervene.
Kraft said trustees are currently seeking legal advice on whether the motion aligns with board bylaws and whether it’s even eligible to be brought forward for a vote.
“That’s a difficult question for sure,” Kraft said. “Right now, we’re seeking a legal opinion on that to understand whether the motion can even stand in alignment with our bylaws. So that will form part of the decision as to whether we go ahead with that on the 28th.”
The argument made by some trustees that the decision to fly the Pride flag was made by the former director of education, with some trustees saying it’s an operational matter—not one for the board to vote on.
Kraft said her priority is to refocus the board’s energy on students and education.
“I saw the need, and I really had the desire to try to bring the board back together,” she said. “We have a lot of things in common, but over the last little bit, there’s been a few decisions and conversations that have sort of taken us away from our main focus. As trustees, we want to really focus on student well-being and education. I really want to bring us back to that. I respect every single person on the board, and I’m really looking forward to working through that and kind of getting us back on track and focusing on the student well-being and education.”
The board is expected to revisit the issue at its next meeting on April 28.
