Trustees slammed for lacking an understanding of roles

Dysfunctional, unaccountable and lacking “a basic understanding of their roles and responsibilities” as elected leaders — that’s how troubleshooters’ Patrick Case and Sue Herbert described the 12 trustees at the helm of the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) in a scathing report ordered by Education Minister Mitzie Hunter, released Tuesday.

The trustees’ lack of understanding was evident during discussions about the exercise of their responsibilities over costs for legal fees and staff settlements.

The same was true about their role in denouncing racism in the board.

The investigators slammed the trustees for their lack of “strong and ethical leadership” around denouncing incidents of Islamophobia and anti-black racism in the board.

“There was a complete absence among board members of any appreciation of their obligation to take a strong and unequivocal stand against racism and intolerance at the YRDSB,” the investigators wrote.

In the case of former trustee Nancy Elgie, who referred to a parent using a racial slur, investigators saw a “diffusion of responsibility” when it came to filing a code of conduct complaint against Elgie, with some saying “it was not their responsibility to do so.”

The same lack of leadership occurred in the case of a principal who posted anti-Muslim remarks on her Facebook page, and who later apologized.

Trustees said it was the director and staff’s role to deal with the matter, and “not one board member acknowledged that the board had a role to play in reassuring the community of their commitment to the school board’s value statement of ‘demonstrating equity and inclusivity in all that we do.’ ”

The investigators said they were troubled both by the lack of response and the trustees’ lack of understanding about their responsibility to the community.