A May court hearing has been set for an Alberta Catholic school board trustee challenging her forced resignation over social media posts criticizing gender ideology.
Monique LaGrange was disqualified by the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) in November 2023 for not adhering to sanctions issued to her over her social media posts.
The sanctions, issued on Sept. 26, 2023, included sensitivity training, a ban on making public statements or speaking with the media, and a prohibition on representing the board in an official capacity.
Before the sanctions were issued, Ms. LaGrange had been interviewed twice by media outlets for stories that were not published until after Sept. 26, which led to the board claiming Ms. LaGrange violated the sanctions.
Ms. LaGrange’s lawyer, James Kitchen, filed for two judicial reviews of the RDCRS actions, saying the decisions were invalid and improper.
One of the social media posts that sparked the sanctions included an image of school children waving pride flags next to a photo of school children waving swastika flags. Ms. LaGrange wrote ‘Brainwashing is brainwashing’ on the Aug. 27 Facebook post.
He said that Ms. LaGrange received comments that were in support of her position and that the board received messages from people who did not.
On Sept. 5, 2023 the board decided to write Alberta’s education minister to have Ms. LaGrange removed as a trustee. The letter was written on Sept. 7, a day after a “conciliatory” meeting was held where the board gave her an opportunity to apologize. Ms. LaGrange did not, believing she had done nothing wrong in putting up the post.
Mr. Kitchen argues that the board’s actions, including passing judgment before a hearing was held, did not conform to its own code of conduct.
“The Board committed an incurable procedural error and its decision must be quashed on this basis alone,” the document says.
Additionally, Mr. Kitchen said the board demonstrated bias by prejudgment of Ms. LaGrange.
“Despite the Board’s bald pronouncement that it had an open mind, the factual reality is the Board was prepared to, and voted to, exact the most severe sanction in the absence of either a complaint or a hearing,” he wrote.
The document also noted that Ms. LaGrange was a trustee in a school division that was dedicated to Roman Catholic values.
“Pretending the applicant has invented an interpretation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church untethered to an objective understanding of what it says and what it means is disingenuous. The Catechism could not possibly be clearer,” the document said.
The Epoch Times reached out to the board but did not hear back by publication time.
Ms. LaGrange is seeking to quash the decision and be reinstated.
