Investigation clears YRDSB chair in code of conduct breach accusations

YorkRegion.com
March 23, 2017
By Teresa Latchford  

A code of conduct investigation into a public board trustee has concluded.

In February, the word of an investigation launched against York Region District School Board chair Loralea Carruthers alleged she used a “threatening” tone to try to obtain a management job at the board.

Following a closed-door meeting of the school board trustees, they emerged and released the following statement about the conclusion of that investigation.

“That based on the factual findings submitted by one of the three external consultants approved by the board, the York Region District School Board has determined that no formal motion will be brought forward with regard to the alleged breach of the trustee code of conduct by trustee Loralea Carruthers and no sanctions will be imposed.”

In laymen’s terms, the investigation concluded there was no wrongdoing and no reason for the board to discipline Carruthers.

When asked for further comment on the investigation, Carruthers said she was restricted to the released statement following a motion passed by the trustees.

Some York parents aligned with the Vaughan African Canadian Association and the YRDSB Kids Need Help group are questioning the timing of the complaint, which was originally lodged on Nov. 23, close to the time she was facing an election for the board chair position.

The complaint came 12 days before trustees voted to oust former YRDSB trustee chair Anna DeBartolo, from Vaughan. The accusations came from Aurora and King Trustee Peter Adams-Luchowski.

A letter penned by education director J. Philip Parappally also accused Carruthers of actions uncompliant with the trustee’s code of conduct.

“Why are we allowing the past chair, other trustees and the director to go after and target the new chair who is the only one trying to fix the mess at the board?” York parent Charline Grant said, referring to the issues of racism currently putting the school board in the spotlight and prompting a review conducted by the education ministry. “This is disgusting.”

A number of parents, like Grant, are throwing their support behind the new chair, unwavered by these accusations they are calling politics.