TCDSB won’t fly anti-abortion flag
Catholic board rejects proposal from trustee who wanted students to attend rally on Parliament Hill
The international “pro-life” flag will not fly at Toronto Catholic schools, following a Tuesday night board meeting where trustees overwhelmingly rejected the proposal.
“I don’t like nasty politics worming its way into our boardroom or into our classrooms,” said trustee Maria Rizzo at the meeting. “While there’s nothing new about culture wars bleeding into the politics in schools, it’s different due to the coordinated campaign fuelling these debates and the deeply partisan divide that has emerged.”
The motion, put forth by Toronto Catholic District School Board trustee Michael Del Grande, comes at a time when culture wars are erupting at Ontario school boards, with debates over issues such as LGBTQ inclusion policies, and as clashes over abortion rights continue south of the border.
“We have an opportunity to showcase ourselves as defenders of human rights in the greatest social justice battle of our day,” Del Grande said. “We are a pro-life board.”
His comments elicited applause from roughly 50 spectators in the public gallery, including a man holding a large crucifix and a woman kneeling in prayer with a rosary.
Del Grande’s proposal was defeated by a vote of eight to two — Garry Tanuan, who seconded the motion, voted in favour.
Del Grande wanted the TCDSB to fly the “pro-life” flag at schools throughout May, and that it encourage participation in the May 9 National March for Life, an annual protest on Parliament Hill organized by anti-abortion organization Campaign Life Coalition. Meanwhile, students not travelling to Ottawa would spend the day learning about the church’s teachings on abortion.
While the board in 2021 voted in favour of flying the Pride flag at schools, Rizzo noted that was a student-led initiative to ensure spaces are inclusive — but this motion isn’t about students, she said.
Trustee Angela Kennedy said parents whose kids attend a TCDSB school expect them to receive “a well-rounded education rooted in gospel values with Christ at the centre of all learning. They do not expect a kind of indoctrination that this motion promotes.”
Prior to the meeting, trustee Markus de Domenico told the Star he opposed the motion, in part, because the association with Campaign Life Coalition “really disturbs me — they’ve been nothing but very anti-Pride, anti-human rights code.”
After Del Grande’s motion was defeated, some in the public gallery booed at trustees and shouted, “Shame on you.” Security cleared the gallery without incident.
De Domenico then presented his own motion, calling for the board to dedicate its National Family and Life Week — this year it runs from May 13 to 19 — to the “sacredness of life” and that schools receive additional related supports, resources and special activities. (The week is celebrated annually by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.)
It passed with a vote of nine to zero — Del Grande left the room during the vote. (Trustees Teresa Lubinski and Daniel Di Giorgio were absent.)
Del Grande made headlines in 2019 when trustees debated if the code of conduct should include gender identity and expression as prohibited grounds for discrimination. He warned it was a “slippery slope,” and suggested it also include acts such as such as pedophilia, bestiality, sadism and vampirism.
He sued the TCDSB for censuring him for the comments and the matter is still before the courts. He’s also facing a disciplinary hearing at the Ontario College of Teachers. Campaign Life Coalition is fundraising to help cover Del Grande’s legal fees.