Trustees at odds over ‘pro-life’ flag
Motion also calls for board to encourage participation in anti-abortion march
Toronto’s Catholic board is being called on to fly the “international pro-life flag” outside its schools during the month of May.
It is also being asked to encourage staff and students to participate in next month’s annual anti-abortion march in Ottawa.
That’s according to a motion submitted by Trustee Mike Del Grande, which will be debated at an April 23 meeting of the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
“It’s a Catholic school board. I’m a Catholic school trustee. And I bring motions up periodically at the board,” Del Grande told the Star on
Tuesday, refusing to comment further.
The controversial trustee — in 2019 he linked LGBTQ rights to offensive, even criminal, sexual behaviours when discussing the board’s code of conduct — is presenting this motion at a time when the pro-life and anti-abortion movements are a big part of the so-called culture wars south of the border.
The motion is in support of the National March for Life, which is an annual protest on Parliament Hill that is organized by Campaign Life Coalition, a Canadian anti-abortion organization.
It calls for the TCDSB to fly the “pro-life flag” in May; and that it facilitate and accommodate all staff and students to participate in the annual march, which is on May 9 this year. And, for those who don’t go to Ottawa, the motion calls on the TCDSB to ensure that “the entire teaching curriculum be exclusively devoted” to the Church’s position on abortion.
Trustee Kevin Morrison said the motion is motivated by “an outside political group,” calling it a “complete waste of our time” and “absolutely bizarre.”
“It has nothing to do with education — it’s politics” he told the Star. “It does nothing to advance education … or any of the problems we’re dealing with,” he said, referring to teacher shortages, and the need for more child care spaces in schools.
Morrison also noted the TCDSB already teaches about the sanctity of life, saying “this is a duplication of efforts.” The TCDSB also has a dedicated Respect for Life Week in May.
Trustee Maria Rizzo said, “I don’t like American-style politics coming to the boardroom.
“We’re in the business of governance — to make sure our students get an education,” she said. “(This motion) is about politicizing the boardroom for a third party … This is not about students.”
Jack Fonseca, director of political operations at Campaign Life Coalition, says the motion is “absolutely not a political issue,” calling the suggestion “absolutely absurd.”
“This is a cause of Catholic social justice. The Catholic Church doctrinally and morally opposes abortion and all the Catholic schools and institutions are required to do the same.”
Trustee Nancy Crawford, who’s also TCDSB chair, said some may see the motion as polarizing “because people have very strong feelings about the issue.”
“It is something that I hope we will navigate through the board in an appropriate and respectful manner,” said Crawford, who calls herself “pro-life.”
In recent years, Del Grande has been mired in legal battles over his 2019 comments, when trustees debated updating the code of conduct to include gender identity and expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination, as required by the province and human rights law.
Del Grande called it a “slippery slope,” proposing an amendment to add fetishistic behaviours, such as pedophilia, bestiality and vampirism.
Del Grande is suing the TCDSB for censuring him over the comments.