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

Two trustees of a western Manitoba school board embroiled in controversy andunder provincial revieware accusing the province of intimidation.

Their accusationscame Monday during a meeting of theMountain 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 whichCBC News watchedvia 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 eventuallypassedafter some pushback andlengthy debate, which included a threat by thechairto resign.

'No use for bullies': trustee

Trustee Kerri Wieleralso alleged a threat was made to dissolve the board during ameeting in Winnipeg between trustees andthe education minister. That, coupledwith the communications aboutMonday'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 wherehe said the residential school system began asa 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 confirmifEducation Minister Nello Altomare threatened to dissolve the board, but said at a meeting withtrusteeson June 11, he took a "balanced" approach and offered to work with the board.

Chair threatens to resign

During Monday's meeting, board chair Gabe Merciersaid the province's education department "has a role to play in the governance of schools," andthat hesaidhe didn't appreciate Gryba's comments.

"We have to follow the directives of the department of education," said Mercier.

As debate continued, the chairsaid he would resign if the motion to allow O'Leary to speakdidn't pass.

"If we don't get the votes as required I'm going to resign," said Mercier. "I'm just going to put my cards on the table regarding this."

The board, which currently hasfive trustees, needed two-thirdssupportin order to suspend the 10-day advance notice rule.

Merciervoted in favour. When asked if he is allowed tovote as chair,he said that is permittedwhen breaking a tie or, as in this case, to pass a resolution.

When O'Leary finally got to speak, he said efforts were made, without success, to schedule a separate meeting to discuss the governance review and the appointment of theoversight panel.

That panelcurrently consists ofManitoba Mtis Federationvice-president Frances Chartrand, Brandon School Division trustee Jim Murray and Manitoba Teachers' Society staff officer Andrea Zaroda. All three were at Monday's meeting, O'Leary said.

He also said discussions are ongoing with chiefs of First Nations in the division toappoint a fourth member to the panel.

Oversight panel members will function like trustees without a vote, said O'Leary.

The panel has been given full access to all board meetings andwill help the board navigate recent turnover, ensure community concerns are addressed, and oversee decision making,the province said in a statement.

Trustee Wieler asked howmembers of the panel were chosen and if they'd be able to "set aside their biases," afterthe Manitoba Mtis Federation and Manitoba Teachers' Society spoke out against Coffey following his April presentation.

"I would say the simple fact that they've agreed to serve in this capacity attests to their commitment to work with the board," said O'Leary.

"Prior statements regarding calls for dissolution underline some of the seriousness of concerns, but everyone is here with good reason to work positive."

O'Leary said as far as he knows, this is the fourth time in the last 20 years a full governance review has been done of a school board.

In two of thosecases, the governance review was resolved with the board implementing changes, he said.

But in 2001, the Manitoba governmentdissolved the board of the Morris-Macdonald School Division, south of Winnipeg, after aprovincial auditor's report foundthe division had received millions of extra dollars as a result of overstated enrolment numbers. In that case, the province appointed atrustee to manage the division until regularly scheduled elections were held the following year.

TheWinnipeg School Division and Sunrise School Division were both under review in 2016, according to a provincialspokesperson.