Catholic On Alberta School Board Seeks To Retain Position

In Canada, this week's Western Catholic Reporter details an interesting complaint filed with the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission by the Chinook's Edge School Division. Roy Brassard has been chair of Chinook's Edge School Division for the past eight years. Last year, Catholic voters in Didsbury voted to join the Red Deer Catholic School Division, which is inside the boundaries of the Chinook's Edge public school system. Alberta approved the change in June. Under Alberta's School Act, this now disqualifies Brassard from continuing to serve on the board of the public school system. Under the School Act, all Catholics within the Catholic School Division are treated as residents of that district. While they are still permitted to send their children to the public school and to be employed by the public school system, they are disqualified from serving on the public school board of trustees. However, Brassard thinks the law needs changing, arguing that "parents of Catholic students who stay in the Chinook's Edge school system will not have the opportunity to represent their children as trustees." The complaint filed with the Human Rights commission was seen as an act of last resort to try to allow Brassard to retain his position.