Vancouver School Board trustee faces backlash after post referring to parents concerns as ‘spam’

A Vancouver School Board trustee referred to parent emails detailing disability support as ‘spam,’ inciting uproar from concerned parents.

Parents are furious after a Vancouver School Board trustee posted email screenshots of an inclusive education survey to X, formally known as Twitter.

VSB trustee Alfred Chien published the names of parents via a social media post April 23, and did not take the post down until Sunday – after receiving backlash from parents.

Chien referred to the emails regarding the survey, which detailed concerns over school’s disability support, as ‘spam.’

CTV News has blurred the names of the parents featured within the post due to privacy concerns.

Former VSB trustee Patti Bacchus said she was “really astonished” that an elected trustee, who ran for office to work for the citizens of Vancouver, would criticize the way parents would advocate for students.

Especially given the largest stakeholder group who ran to work for was students and local families, she added.

“If there were issues parents cared about, I’d often get mass emails and I would say this is an issue that is striking for a lot of people. I better pay attention and respond. I respected that advocacy,” says Bacchus.

Chien has since apologized.

“I apologize if my disclosure was a surprise or caused concern for any parents or guardians,” he told CTV News on Monday.

“My comments were intended to highlight the importance of public engagement and transparency. I found it concerning that hundreds of letters with various individuals’ names signed were sent from one singular email address,” explained Chein.

The emails were in response to an Inclusive Education survey conducted on behalf of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council.

It comes as parents of kids with special needs have been calling for more support, so their children don’t get left behind amid budget cuts.

“We feel that parent voices are not being heard, that we are not being taken seriously, that we are reprimanded for speaking out,” said DPAC president, Melanie Chang.

“If he had read the parent emails that were sent to him, he would see that it was part of our budgeting for inclusion campaign. They were sent by parents based upon our report at Vancouver DPAC advocating for equity.”

Emergency motion at school board meeting

Chien has put forth an emergency motion at Monday’s school board meeting, expressing concerns over disruptions caused by emails sent from DPAC to trustees.

“We want as much engagement as possible in all sorts of formats,” said Suzie Mah, a VSB trustee with COPE Vancouver.

“As a trustee, I welcome all of that and we shouldn’t be shutting it down. We should be saying wow all these people are so interested in educational matters and in their child’s education.”

Mah added that it sets a dangerous precedent if Chien’s motion goes through.

“If we say that everybody’s email can be exposed to the public or to anybody, what does that say about how people are going to feel about wanting to be engaged. They’re going to be scared. They’re going to be angry. Is that what we want to do?”

Parents like Chang say they will not back down and will continue to advocate for their kids.

“We are open, willing to sit down and meet with all trustees to discuss these critical issues,” she said.