‘Anti-woke’ trustee candidates stir up concerns among educators, parents

Concerns grow over a rise in trustee candidates campaigning on “anti-woke” platforms aimed at rolling back sex education and equity initiatives in schools.

Thestar.com
Oct. 24, 2022
Kristin Rushowy
Noor Javed

Unlike some councillor races, there is no shortage of candidates for trustee -- but there are growing concerns about a slate of candidates campaigning on “anti-woke” U.S.-style platforms who want to roll back sex education and equity initiatives in schools.

The issue has attracted the attention of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, which said there is a “steep rise in anti-trans, anti-equity candidates running for school board trustee, a position in which elected individuals have a significant impact on the school environment, and thereby, the health and well-being of all students” and especially those who are marginalized, said Hazel Woodrow, the network’s education facilitator.

“We consider this to be a matter of public health,” she added.

Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association and a Kawartha Pine Ridge trustee seeking re-election, stressed the importance of voters paying attention to who their candidates are.

School board trustee is a position often overlooked by voters, and one that tends to see the lowest awareness and turnout. But the position is an important one in the public education system and voters need to pay attention to who their candidates are, said Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association and a Kawartha Pine Ridge trustee seeking re-election.

Among English public boards, there are 862 candidates running for 310 seats, with 66 acclamations in Monday’s municipal election. In 2018, 881 put their names forward but some 78 trustee positions were acclaimed, the association’s research shows.

“I wonder if the pandemic didn’t kind of show people the importance of school boards” and the work trustees do, which is often in the spotlight, Abraham said.

Vaughan resident Justin Rangooni was “appalled” when he received a flyer from a local trustee candidate which echoed the “divisive language and tactics” common in the U.S. around gender identity, race and sexual orientation.

The flyer, for candidate Paul Black, said Black was running because of concerns around “how schools have become institutions of indoctrination” as well as “gender ideology,” “critical race theory,” “morally warped sex education” and a system where “unions are at the top.”

“I was quite infuriated with the tone and language and wanted to quickly rip it up and throw it away,” said Rangooni, who has children in public school.

But Black, a local businessperson, said via email that he decided to run because he feels schools have become places where students “are taught what to think instead of how to think critically.”

Black is just one of many trustee candidates being endorsed on the “Vote against Woke” website which lists endorsements for “non-woke” candidates in public school boards across Ontario, who have the “potential to oppose woke ideology.” Woke is used to describe individuals or groups active on issues about race and social justice.

The website says recommendations are based on crowd generated feedback, and the candidates are “not associated with this organization.” There are more than 100 names on the website.

Nadeem Mahmood, the incumbent York public board trustee for Vaughan, said he wasn’t contacted or informed when his name was endorsed on the site -- but didn’t answer why he would have been included.

Bridget Kilgallon, running for trustee in Aurora and Stouffville, said she wasn’t surprised her name was on the website as she has heard from many parents who are concerned with the “politicization of school board curriculum” and the over-emphasis on gender and race.

She said for many of those who have reached out to her, the recent case of the transgender teacher in Halton who has caused controversy for wearing tight-fitting tops over oversized fake breasts, said the lack of response from the school board there has shown the need for something like the anti-woke campaign.

“Parents feel like they can’t speak up or question policies and guidelines,” she said. “And if our role as trustee is respected, we should be able to have open discussions on such matters.”

Jacquetta Newman, a political science professor at King’s University College at Western, said having candidates running an anti-woke banner for trustee is concerning since “so few people pay attention to municipal and school board elections.”

“Those who are already engaged will already likely have a position on these controversial issues,” she said. “So that means that certain candidates may actually be successful in dog whistling and galvanizing supporters, because everybody else is just not listening.”

Maria Rizzo, a long-time, progressive Toronto Catholic board trustee, said this time around there is a "ghost candidate" running against her with the same last name, in order to confuse voters.

Maria Rizzo, a long-time, progressive Toronto Catholic board trustee, said this time around there is a “ghost candidate” running against her with the same last name, in order to confuse voters.

“I have a proven record,” she said. “I have experience and I know how to do my job. I stand up for what I believe in” and what the community does as well.

She said the anti-woke campaign “is a reflection of our communities and how diverse they are,” but that trustees have to follow the law, and abide by the human rights code.

“We have to do what we have to do for every kid ... it’s not about constitutionality,” she added. “It’s what’s best for the child? What is best for our students and our families?”