Pride flag controversy: Ontario urged to intervene at school board

Amidst calls for the province to step in and order a York school board to fly the Pride flag in June, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he has “no comment” on the controversial decision.

Trustees at the York Catholic District School Board voted six to four against raising the Pride flag at the board’s headquarters in June during a tense meeting that ran late into the night on Monday.

That decision was the talk of Queen’s Park on Monday, where critics urged Stephen Lecce to use his powers as education minister to compel the school board to fly the flag in solidarity with LGBTQ2 students.

Lecce “expressed disappointment” in the decision and called on the school board to reconsider but did not indicate he had any plans to take action over the board’s flag-flying decision.

“We are going to continue to encourage school boards to do everything they can to support these kids,” Lecce told reporters at Queen’s Park. “That includes raising the flag.”

Approached by Global News to talk about the controversy, Doug Ford said he had “no comment on that.”

The Ontario NDP called on the government to go further and leverage provincial laws to force the board to reverse the decision.

“The minister is empowered through the Accepting Schools Act. He’s empowered through the equity and inclusion of education policy so he can take real firm, decisive action,” said NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam.

The Ford government has used its powers over school boards in the past. Lecce issued 27 directives to the Peel District School Board after issues with anti-Black racism and discrimination were investigated in late-2019 and early 2020.

He ultimately sidelined trustees at that board, sending a provincially appointed supervisor to run the board in their place until January 2023.

In 2022, he also ordered York District School Board to “honour” Queen Elizabeth II after her death.

On the issue of the Pride flag at York’s Catholic board, however, Lecce has shown no signs of stepping in.

“I’ve set an expectation, I do believe the Pride flag is something that brings people together, it’s an inclusive message,” he said, sidestepping questions about why he would not compel the board to fly the flag.

A memo issued on Tuesday afternoon to boards across Ontario encouraged schools to celebrate Pride in an inclusive manner. The document, seen by Global News, did not mention the issue at York’s Catholic school board.

About 50,000 students are enrolled in the York Catholic School Board’s 85 elementary and 16 secondary schools located across nine municipalities, including Aurora, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill and Vaughan.