Hearing Extended for Red Deer Catholic School Trustee Ousted Over Social Media Posts on Gender Ideology

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

The hearing for Alberta trustee Monique LaGrange, who was forced to resign over social media posts criticizing gender ideology, has been extended by two additional court days.

The former trustee asked for two judicial reviews into the actions of the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) board, which disqualified her from her trustee position and issued sanctions after her social media posts.

The hearing started on May 1 and was scheduled to wrap up on May 3. However, the judge hearing the case said it would need to be continued on June 18 and 19.

Ms. LaGrange was disqualified in November 2023 for allegedly not adhering to board sanctions placed on her after she was critical of gender issues on social media.

One of the social media posts that sparked the sanctions included an image of school children waving pride flags, alongside a photo of school children waving Nazi flags. On the Aug. 27, 2023, Facebook post, Ms. LaGrange wrote, “Brainwashing is brainwashing.”

Representatives for the school board told the court that Ms. LaGrange was not being sanctioned for her beliefs.

“The board does not dispute that the trustee has sincerely held religious beliefs,” lawyer Teresa Haykowsky said during the online hearing.

“The board accepts the trustee’s view that she’s entitled to her personal religious beliefs and that she is entitled to express them,” Ms. Hawkowsky said. “However, the trustee has a statutory ethical obligation toward the school division students as well. In her trustee role, the respondent has an obligation to communicate respectfully and inclusively pursuant to the Education Act code of conduct.”

Ms. LaGrange’s lawyer, James Kitchen, argued the board had not specifically identified what was wrong with the social media post.

He also said that the sanctions were humiliating to his client.

“If you have to be trained about the Holocaust then there must be something wrong with you morally or intellectually that you don’t know about this and know how bad it was,” he said with regard to the sensitivity training that was required of Ms. LaGrange.

Sanctions

The school board issued sanctions against Ms. LaGrange on Sept. 26, including sensitivity training, a ban on making public statements or speaking with the media, and a prohibition on representing the board in any official capacity.

However, Ms. LaGrange had been interviewed by media outlets prior to the sanctions being put in effect. The news articles were published after Sept. 26, leading the board to claim she had violated the sanctions.

On Nov. 14, 2023, the board chair issued a statement saying the board was dedicated to a safe, caring, respectful, and inclusive learning environment.

“Regrettably, as a result of Trustee LaGrange’s violation of the sanctions placed on her on Sept. 26, 2023, as well as her additional violations of Board Policy and the Education Act, the board made the challenging decision to disqualify Trustee LaGrange,” Murray Hollman said.