Trustees bullied staff, probe finds
WorkSafeBC says VSB employees made to feel humiliated, intimidated at two meetings
The bullying at the Vancouver School Board all comes down to conduct and comments made at two meetings — one a private meeting of the board on Sept. 6 and the other the public meeting on Sept. 26 about school closures — WorkSafeBC has ruled.
WorkSafeBC’s report into bullying at the VSB concludes that at those two meetings, the behaviour of certain trustees caused staff to be humiliated and intimidated, which is the WorkSafeBC definition of bullying, as long as the person knows or ought to have known the action would cause humiliation or intimidation. The report is heavily redacted and doesn’t include the names of any trustees or staff members.
The investigation, conducted by WorkSafeBC’s Stewart Babineau and Paul Bergin, found that VSB took reasonable steps to prevent workplace bullying, but that staff were afraid to report the bullying for fear of losing their jobs or damaging their career prospects.
It says that because trustees are not in a traditional employment situation with school districts, it is difficult to discipline them.
At the Sept. 6 private meeting of the board, trustees were told that copies of their emails were given to the special adviser, Peter Milburn, who had been hired by the minister of education to audit the district after trustees failed to pass a balanced budget by June 30.
When trustees were told that their emails had been given to the adviser, certain trustees “exhibited negative body language, including rolling eyes, glaring, and huffing,” the report says.
The VSB report into the bullying focused on the Sept. 26 meeting, which was a public meeting about school closures. Like that report, the WorkSafeBC investigation also found bullying happened at that meeting, specifically when two motions were passed: one to revise the school closure report based on in-catchment enrolment and another to have VSB enrolment projections reviewed by City of Vancouver staff.
WorkSafeBC said the audio recording of the meeting shows the motion to revise the school closure report caused an “uproar” and that the entire meeting was described as a “gong show” and a “circus.”
“(The meeting) was highly emotional and upsetting for several witnesses, and lasted for about 4½ hours,” the report says.
The WorkSafeBC investigation was launched after the president of the B.C. School Superintendents’ Association sent a letter to the minister of education. The report says the president became aware of the problems at VSB in April, when the superintendent sought advice on what to do when trustees didn’t pass the budget. In May, the board announced that the superintendent was required to implement the budget, including many job cuts, unless directed otherwise by the board, the investigation shows.
The trustees were fired in October for failing to pass a balanced budget.
The VSB investigation, done by lawyer Roslyn Goldner, found union representatives on VSB committees were “disrespectful and verbally abusive toward staff in committee meetings,” but the WorkSafeBC report does not mention this. Union leaders took exception to the VSB report, saying it was “unfair, unsubstantiated and appearing to be politically motivated.”
The unions also said it is trustees’ job to ask hard questions and represent the public. They called for Education Minister Mike Bernier to call a byelection on May 9, in conjunction with the provincial election. Bernier, however, has said he will not do that and that the provincially appointed official trustee Dianne Turner will be in place for a minimum of one year.