HWDSB student trustees echo calls for new vice chair Becky Buck's resignation

Student trustees at Hamilton's public school board say their fellow trustees should reflect on their decision last Monday to elect controversial trustee Becky Buck as vice chair.

Deema Abdel Hafeez and Aisha Mahmoud voiced community concerns about Buck during a Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) meeting late Monday evening.

They called the trustees hypocrites for saying they value diversity and inclusivity while electing her as vice chair — despite Buck being named in a scandalous racism probe last year. 

The report, spurred by complaints from a former student trustee, found Buck made a racist comment during a meeting about cancelling the police liaison program.

Buck says when she used the term "Twitter trolls" during the meeting she was referring to anonymous people sending her hateful messages, not activists and people expressing concern at the meeting. The report, however, concludes she was referring to the activists.

The report also stated she opposed making an Indigenous student trustee position without creating roles for all equity-seeking groups.

Buck didn't receive any sanctions and wasn't found to have violated the code of conduct.

Shortly before their calls for Buck to resign on Monday, Abdel Hafeez told CBC News she and Mahmoud met with students and activists holding a demonstration in front of the school board "and listened to their various grievances."

Those students, mostly from a coalition called Hamilton Students for Justice, have demanded Buck step down as  vice chair.

"We continue to support our students and work to amplify their concerns," Abdel Hafeez  wrote in an email.

Chair says trustees will reflect on decision

During the meeting, Mahmoud said "the board's decision last Monday [to elect Buck] acts as a hindrance toward the HWDSB's ability to serve the student body."

"The harm that has been done has not gone away in our student community and the work that needs to be done is ongoing."

Mahmoud said "with all due respect" the board reconsider its decision.

Buck replied saying the comments were "untrue and personally disparaging." She emphasized she didn't violate the code of conduct and was upset the student trustees were allowed to make those comments.

Chair Dawn Danko said Buck didn't violate the code of conduct or receive sanctions and said Buck did all the required training.

Danko also said she appreciated the student trustees collecting student feedback and sharing it with trustees.

"I commit to seriously reflecting on a number of different decisions but I hope there's an opportunity for further dialogue and opportunities for ways to repair relationships," she said.

HWDSB appoints interim director of education

The school board also named an interim director of education with current director Manny Figueiredo set to resign in late February.

HWDSB says John Bryant, the former director at Waterloo Region District School Board, will start in February.

He retired from the Waterloo role in May after becoming director in 2013.

He previously worked as a superintendent at the Grand Erie District School Board. He also taught in the Borough of York and the Upper Grand District School Board.