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Red Deer Catholic school board releases reasons for trustee's disqualification

Monique LaGrange was disqualified from the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools' board of trustees earlier this month for talking to media outlets despite conditions put in place after she likened LGBTQ pride to Nazi Germany in a social media post.

Board says Monique LaGrange did not comply with sanctions over social media post

Nishat Chowdhury · CBC News ·
A portrait of Monique LaGrange. A white woman with shoulder length brown hair with curls. She wears a white dress shirt and purple sweater vest.
Monique LaGrange was disqualified as a Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools trustee earlier this month. (Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools)

Former trustee Monique LaGrange was disqualified from her position earlier this month for talking to media outlets despite conditions put in place after she likened LGBTQ pride to Nazi Germany in a social media post.

The Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools' board of trustees released an 18-page document Friday detailing discussions between the board, LaGrange and her lawyer on Nov. 13 and 14. 

It followed a code of conduct meeting in September when the board passed a motion barring LaGrange from representing the board or school division in any official capacity, including speaking with news and media outlets and refraining from making public statements relating to the LGBTQ community. 

But she appeared on an online talk show released on Oct. 2 and a Christian podcast released on Oct. 19 where she defended posting a now-deleted meme that featured a picture of children waving Nazi flags above a picture of children waving Pride flags.

According to the release, the board found that LaGrange did not comply with the conditions of the first sanction by making public statements to the media relating to the LGBTQ community in the interviews.

Second complaint

On Oct. 16, a second complaint against LaGrange was made by a board member — who is not named in the release — alleging her interviews went against the school board's first sanction, the Trustee Code of Conduct, and Alberta's Education Act. 

The complaint alleges that LaGrange failed to represent the board with respect and decorum and to work cooperatively with fellow board members. 

"As a board we are committed to our mission of continuing to foster and maintain welcoming, safe, caring, and respectful learning environments for all students, staff and families," board chair Murray Hollman said in the Friday release.

LaGrange's lawyer, James Kitchen, argued that his client did not communicate in the interviews in an official capacity as a school board trustee. 

"[LaGrange] didn't purport to represent the board. And she wasn't doing these interviews in her official capacity as a representative of the board," Kitchen said in an interview with CBC News.

"She was identified as a trustee and that's all."

Following deliberations on Nov. 14, the board voted 3-1 in favour of disqualifying LaGrange as a school board trustee. 

Kitchen said they have plans to pursue judicial review at Alberta Court of King's Bench to overturn the board's decisions. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nishat Chowdhury

Journalist

Nishat Chowdhury is a reporter based in Toronto. She is a 2023 CBC Joan Donaldson Scholar and has previously worked as a reporter and producer for CBC newsrooms in Edmonton, Fredericton and Sudbury. She graduated with a bachelor's of journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University in June 2023. You can reach her at nishat.chowdhury@cbc.ca

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