WCDSB expected to vote on controversial flag banning motion

WCDSB trustees are expected to vote on a motion that would see Pride flags and political symbols banned from school grounds. CTV's Jeff Pickel reports.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) is expected to vote on a controversial flag banning motion during a Monday evening board meeting.

The proposal introduced by Trustee Conrad Stanley, would prohibit all political flags and symbols, including the LGBTQ+ Pride and Progress flags, from being displayed on school property.

Monday’s board meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the first floor board room at the Catholic Education Centre located at 35 Weber St. in Kitchener.

As of 5:30 p.m., a long line of people could be seen outside the centre holding signs high in the air as they wait for the meeting to begin.

Patrick Etmanski, President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association’s Waterloo Region chapter, was among the crowd.

“Teachers are here because they want to support the kids that they serve and there are kids all the way from kindergarten to Grade 12 who really do appreciate the support,” Etmanski said. “The Pride flag is a huge visible symbol of that, as are some other symbols that we have around safe spaces and all the other things and the teachers are here to make sure that the board understands that that’s important to staff but also to the students.”

Also adding to the traffic, there is a polling station located directly beside the centre. At one point, the meeting had been moved to Resurrection Catholic Secondary School to avoid a heavy traffic jam and allow more people to attend but that decision was reversed.

Tension over motion

The motion has sparked significant debate within the community.

During an April 14 board meeting, a large crowd gathered outside the board office, echoing scenes from a March 24 meeting that drew hundreds of people. Turnout at the April 14 meeting was small and included a more visible presence of a group who oppose the flying of Pride flags in schools.

Supporters of the motion argue schools should remain neutral spaces free from political messaging, while opponents contend that banning the Pride flag undermines efforts to create inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ students.

MPP for Kitchener Centre, Aislinn Clancy, pushed back against the proposed flag ban at the April 14 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 on April 15. “Our schools should be inclusive of everyone.”

In March, Clancy wrote an official letter to the Minister of Education, calling on him to intervene.

New chair elected

The board has recently elected a new chair after the previous chair stepped down.

A vote was taken during the April 14 meeting where Trustee Renee 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.

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.”