York board accepts Nancy Elgie’s resignation
Trustees must decide if they will hold a byelection or appoint a replacement
The York Region District School Board formally accepted the resignation of embattled trustee Nancy Elgie at a board meeting in Aurora on Tuesday.
Trustees will decide whether to hold a byelection or appoint a replacement later.
Elgie’s resignation was added to the agenda of the special board meeting after she announced she was stepping down on Friday. The meeting also included a recognition of Black History Month, a board spokesperson said.
For weeks, Elgie had dismissed growing demands and pressure that she step down over her use of a racial slur targeted at a black parent. She had referred to Charline Grant using the word n----- after a public meeting last November.
On Friday, Elgie posted a video statement on YouTube, saying “the best thing I can do to serve the people of Georgina, and the board, is to step down.
“I hope that this will allow trustees to move forward and focus on the many important issues they face,” Elgie said in the video.
Elgie has been a trustee since 2000. She suffered a head injury last October and said concussion symptoms caused her to mix up her words.
Trustees were unavailable for further comment, as they were in a standing committee meeting shortly after accepting the resignation.
The provincial government sent in two investigators because of ongoing issues at the board, including accusations that it ignored incidents of racism and Islamophobia, and questions about trustee spending and conduct. They are expected to issue a report in April. The next board meeting is scheduled for March 7. With files from Noor Javed and Kristin Rushowy