York Region school board reps' silence after meeting angers parents

After 2-hour closed-door meeting, 1-minute public session, future of education director J. Phillip Parappally still unclear

Yorkregion.com
April 19, 2017
By Teresa Latchford

It is unclear if York Region District School board still has an education director.

York Region parents gathered outside the board room at the school board headquarters last night and waited anxiously to hear if education director J. Phillip Parappally was still at the helm of the board's administration. Last week, the board trustees called for his resignation following a damning report by Education Ministry appointed reviewers.

Trustees locked themselves into the board room for a closed-door session at 6 p.m. and the doors didn’t reopen to the public until 8:43 p.m.

Parents, who have asked Education Minister Mitzie Hunter for a clean sweep of those in charge at the school board due to bullying, race-related incidents and questionable spending, hurried inside, waiting to hear the news.

The meeting began and in less than one minute, following the approval of what was only called a “personnel” issue, it was adjourned and the trustees exited the board room.

“I want an answer; we deserve an answer,” demanded Georgina parent Robin Legualt. “You can’t just sweep this under the rug.”

Her daughter was bullied by a classmate and a special education teacher, she said, adding the incidents have yet to be resolved. She waited outside the board room for 3.5 hours to hear the outcome of the private session.

Charline Grant and her husband, Garth Bobb, felt insulted having not even been acknowledged or hearing why the information could not be made public at the time.

“This speaks exactly to what the reviewers were talking about - a lack of transparency,” Bobb said. “I’m happy because these actions just bring to light what we have been saying. Mitzie Hunter talked about exercising her extended powers and I think this would be the time.”

Grant and Bobb were among the first parents to file a human rights complaint against the board because of the way racial incidents involving their son and school staff were handled.

“The board talked about being committed to being more transparent, but tonight shows nothing has changed,” Grant said. “I have no confidence that this board has the leadership capacity to fulfill the education minister’s recommendations.”