St. Paul principal’s absence stirs parental protest

EDMONTON A group of parents in St. Paul are calling for the francophone school board chairman and superintendent to resign after a school principal vanished from the post with no explanation.

The chairman of Conseil scolaire Centre-Est said the principal of St. Paul’s École du Sommet is “absent” while an independent investigator looks into allegations he described as a “human resources issue.”

School principal Yvan Beaudoin was gone from the school March 19, and parents have yet to hear why, parent Sue Stybel said Thursday.

She and other parents protested Thursday by removing their children from school during the lunch hour, and marching to the school board office in St. Paul, holding signs in English and French reading, “Communication is key.”

“We feel there’s been a huge injustice toward our principal,” Stybel said in a video posted by Lakeland Connect.

School board chairman Reginald Roy said parents must have patience — it’s a difficult scenario, and there are legal reasons why the board cannot discuss details of the principal’s absence. The board has to follow proper processes, he said.

He would not say what type of concern the school district is investigating, but said he does not think the police are involved.

“Our message has been we need to focus on what really matters here, and that is the education and well-being of our students,” Roy said.

Another teacher has stepped in as acting principal at Ecole du Sommet while the investigation continues.

Beaudoin could not be reached for comment Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the Alberta Teachers’ Association said Thursday the organization has received a request to investigate Beaudoin’s conduct.

Education Minister David Eggen said the school board is handling the investigation.