Chair of public school board apologizes for handling of Pride motion

Katherine Gagne, the embattled chair of the Regina Public School Board, has apologized for the handling of a Pride motion that was defeated last month.

During the Oct. 15 meeting, the trustees were presented with a motion by Aleana Young, who called for the board to “recognize and support the celebration of Pride and fly the rainbow flag at our facilities each June.”

The motion failed to pass by a 4-3 vote during a heated meeting where many started booing, shouting and crying. Some trustees said they voted against the motion because they were confused about what it meant.

For that and “the hurt that has resulted,” Gagne apologized Tuesday.

“We as the board should not have placed the motion on the agenda until such time as some trustees had had an opportunity to know, to discuss and to seek clarification,” she said during the board’s meeting.

“The board faced a situation we had never previously navigated, whereby trustees were unaware the motion was coming to the agenda until it had been made public.”

When reached on Wednesday morning, Gagne said the board would not be making further comment.

Young’s motion came in response to a group of parents that expressed concerns in June with the rainbow flag flying at an elementary school.

According to Young’s submission at the time, they believed it was a case of “the majority excluding the minority” — that is, families whose personal or religious views are opposed to gender and sexual diversity.

While the motion was defeated, schools remained allowed to decide how they observed Pride.

Since then, a petition was started calling for Gagne to apologize and resign as board chair. It garnered more than 5,000 signatures.

Eric Bell, the creator of the petition, presented it to the board during Tuesday night’s meeting.

The board accepted the petition and will comment on it at a later date.

While Bell said he was happy to hear Gagne recognize the “devastating message” the board sent by defeating the motion, he said it caused lasting damage to the school division’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place, leaving many people upset, angry and embarrassed.

“Now, when you Google Regina Public Schools, unfortunately, this is going to be what comes up in the top search for some period of time,” Bell said. “That is not who we are, that is not who our teachers are and it’s certainly not reflective of what many people think our schools are about.”

Gagne said the board will create a committee to discuss Pride, with representation from members of the LGBTQ2S community. The committee’s terms of reference will come before the end of the year, she said.

“The board supports gay-straight alliances and other activities that promote inclusion and tolerance. And we want to ensure that staff and students have opportunities to celebrate Pride,” she said.

Bell called the committee a good idea but said more needs to be done, that elected trustees should do everything they can to promote a culture of acceptance and celebrate the lives of LGBTQ2S students.

“I think one of the easiest things that this board could do is simply bring the motion back and vote on it and pass it,” he said. “And do it now.”