Former Alberta Catholic School Trustee to Appeal as Court Upholds Sanctions for Gender Issues Post

Former Red Deer Catholic Regional School Board trustee Monique LaGrange. Courtesy of Candice Nadeau

A judge has ruled that sanctions imposed on a former Alberta trustee who was made to resign over social media posts criticizing gender issues are “reasonable” and most of them should remain.

The court ruling was issued by Court of King’s Bench Judge Cheryl Arcand-Kootenay on Nov. 14 in Red Deer after former trustee Monique LaGrange asked for a judicial review of sanctions by the Red Deer Regional Catholic Schools (RDCRS) board.

The board acted following a social media post she made in August 2023 criticizing gender issues.

In her decision, Arcand-Kootenay wrote that the school board’s action was reasonable, confirming most of the sanctions imposed on LaGrange, such as ceasing to make public statements related to gender issues and the Holocaust.

Arcand-Kootenay did overturn several sanctions requiring LaGrange to undergo additional “sensitivity training,” saying they “appear redundant.” The judge also removed the word “sincere” from a sanction that required LaGrange to issue a “sincere public letter of apology.”

On Aug. 27, 2023, LaGrange posted on social media an image showing school children waving pride flags, alongside a photo of school children waving Nazi flags. She wrote in the caption, “Brainwashing is brainwashing.”

In response, the board issued sanctions against LaGrange, saying her post was “offensive” and violated codes of conduct. On Nov. 14, 2023, the board disqualified LaGrange as a trustee.

In a Nov. 14 press release, the school board said the court’s decision to uphold the sanctions “confirms the board acted appropriately” in response to LaGrange’s social media post.

“We are grateful for the Court’s decision, as it reaffirms our commitment to creating an inclusive and respectful environment for all students and staff,” said board chair Murray Hollman. “This judgment underscores the importance of our policies and our collective responsibility as trustees to uphold them in the service of our community.”

LaGrange’s lawyer, James Kitchen, told The Epoch Times he and his client were “unsurprised” by the court’s decision and will file an appeal in the next few weeks.

“We find it odd and unfortunate that the judge only struck the ‘sincere’ part of the apology requirement, instead of the entire conscience-violating compelled apology,” Kitchen said, adding that the ruling implies it is “acceptable to compel people to issue insincere apologies in order to keep their positions.”

Accusations

Dorraine Lonsdale, the board’s vice-chair and official complainant against LaGrange, referenced a policy requiring schools to maintain an environment that “models our Catholic faith and values,” while being “comprehensive and holistic in their approach to inclusion and other potential student issues including bullying, justice, respectful relationships, language and human sexuality,” according to court documents.

Lonsdale said LaGrange’s social media post “undermined” the commitment to inclusion and was “contrary” to Roman Catholic teachings.

LaGrange argued in her request for judicial review that she was expressing her opinion about “an ideology she views as insidious, pervasive and manipulative,” and that her intention was to “protect children from indoctrination.” She added it was not “reasonable” to assume she was comparing the schools’ inclusion initiatives “with death camps.”

LaGrange’s lawyer raised concerns about freedom of speech, especially when it comes to democratically elected officials. “She’s elected to represent [people] whose voice can’t be easily heard, and that’s what she’s there to do, is to represent that voice,” Kitchen said, adding that there is evidence that LaGrange had “a lot of community support.”

He said over 20 people, including a few teachers and members of other school boards across Alberta, expressed support for LaGrange’s comment.

The school board said it is awaiting Arcand-Kootenay’s decision regarding a second judicial review requested by LaGrange, related to her disqualification from the board.