CODE OF CONDUCT COMPLAINTS
Donna Blackburn’s fellow trustees have filed four complaints against her. Here’s a rundown. The complainant: Trustee Chris Ellis The complaint: It started with posts on Blackburn’s Facebook page. Blackburn posted that she was in favour of closing Rideau High School and Ellis commented that she should wait for the public consultation. “I advocate for all students in the OCDSB, that is my JOB!!” Blackburn posted. “I look forward to the day you (figure) that out!! You only like a consultation as long as the end result is your point of view.”
Ellis replied by email to Blackburn, copied to other trustees. Blackburn had blocked him from her Facebook page, he wrote. “That is fine with me. I also hope it means you will stop maligning me there since I have no opportunity to refute your mistruths.”
Blackburn fired an email back to Ellis, also copied to all trustees: “It is bad enough I have to listen to you at Board, wasting mine and everybody else’s time, I am not going to debate you on my FB page. I will say to you what I said to Shawn (Menard, another trustee), you are a menace on our Board. I would explain why, but you lack the intelligence, requisite open-mindedness and insight to make it worth my while.” The letter was signed “Take care, Donna. PS I will keep posting whatever the hell I want on my FB page.” How it was resolved: Informally, with an apology by Blackburn.
The complainant: Trustee Erica Braunovan The complaint: In a private text exchange about a proposed tour of Broadview Public School, Blackburn told Braunovan to call off the tour and Braunovan refused. “Fu**,” Blackburn replied. She also texted that she was tired of Braunovan’s “white privileged bull----” and that Braunovan “bought” her two children, who are adopted. How it was resolved: Informally, with Blackburn apologizing.
The complainant: Trustee Christine Boothby
The complaint: Boothby filed a formal complaint saying Blackburn publicly berated the volunteer chair of the board’s special education advisory committee by arguing with him about whether the committee should discuss an issue related to programming for gifted students. In a second complaint, Boothby said Blackburn violated the confidentiality clause in the code by speaking to the media about the first complaint. “Our volunteers are not public figures and are entitled to their personal privacy.”
How it was resolved: Ongoing. Blackburn refused a suggestion by board chair Shirley Seward that the complaints be resolved informally, saying they should be dropped as frivolous or a formal investigation should be done quickly. Blackburn and Seward each met with a mediator. Blackburn met Friday with a lawyer, who told her to avoid further comments to the media until the complaints are resolved.