Special Board Meeting: September 11, 2023
The Special Board meeting for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board took place on September 11, 2023. Information on the meeting can be found here. The following are my thoughts that I shared during the meeting (time stamp 24:27):
As a new Trustee something that really stuck out to me in the investigator report was on the last page and it said: “It is plainly unfortunate that this matter came to this point. It seems there could have been ample opportunity to attempt an earlier informal resolution, but the circumstances of miscommunication and misunderstanding conspired against. I assign no blame for this.”
As per the legal opinion, there was a breach of the code of conduct. As per the legal opinion, it is recommended that no sanctions should be applied. But it also very clearly states it is unfortunate that we are here.
We are Trustees for a school board district. In school, even in early grades, students are taught how to use their words to resolve conflict. In my view we never should have come to this point.
It is evident that there has been hurt on both sides. To my trustee colleagues I am so sorry. I believe frustrations and anger should never be taken out on individual trustees.
To all my colleagues around the room, I’m going to call on each and every one of you and I’m calling on myself. The bar for the level of respect has significantly increased after tonight. I have watched numerous incidences that do not meet the level of respect that we are demanding now over the past year. We should all be looking to this incident and doing self-reflection on how each and every one of us can do better as Trustees.
Most importantly, I want to apologize to my constituents. My focus should be on my community, and I am pledging to you that here on forward that will be my focus. This has been a distraction and I am so sorry we are here.
We should never have come to the point of spending $20,000 to have this code of conduct happen. In my view it should have gone to mediation and I can truly say that because of that I am so sorry to everyone, to our community and to who we serve. With that said we are here to vote tonight on the code of conduct and the question that is front of us and as the legal opinion clearly stated, there was a breach in the code of conduct. With that said, I want to be clear that the board has now increased the level of respect that we are demanding from each and every one of us. I pledge that I am going to show respect given this definition and I’m asking my colleagues, I am pleading with you. We can work together to do better.
I voted in favour of the recommendation. The recommendation did not pass.
Please note, that the opinions expressed here are entirely my own and do not reflect an official position of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board or the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board of Trustees. The recording can be found here if you would like to watch the entire meeting. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me using my contact form here.
Key links
Video for the Committee of the Whole on 11 September 2023
Agenda for the Committee of the Whole on 11 September 2023
Report 23-056, Determination of Possible Breach
Appendix C, Formal Review Report Findings, Investigation and Report by Michael L. Maynard
Report 23-057, Possible Application of Breach Sanctions
