Regina school trustee says protesters ramping up harassment, intimidation over division's inclusion efforts

Tensions ran high at a Regina Public Schools board meeting on Tuesday night, as several protesters gathered outside over concerns about what they described as sex being taught in the classrooms.

School board trustee Ted Jaleta said he and other trustees have been subject to a "relentless" campaign from a small but vocal group of people who have been ramping up efforts to take aim at what's being taught at schools.

"These people are saying we're apparently changing their children, teaching about gender identity. That's what we hear," Jaleta said, noting he and other trustees have been getting phone calls and emails from these self-described concerned citizens over what he called "fabricated" accounts of what's happening in classrooms.

"A while ago, I was walking by the mall and someone yelled me, 'You're a child molester, stop sexualizing our children.' That's uncalled for," he said. "This is a free country. But harassing and intimidating trustees is not the way to go."

Jaleta said these citizens first began attending school board meetings in April and that their presence has been growing, prompting the division to call in security and police for its June meeting.

Protesters had been organizing to come to that June 13 meeting, handing out flyers at parks and parking lots, encouraging people to "stand for the children against gender ideology."

The meeting room was at capacity and dozens others waited outside — including employees and supporters of Regina Public Schools, who came to show their support for the division.

None of the protesters agreed to be interviewed, but they were vocal about their concerns, making claims about everything from alleged pornography in textbooks, litter boxes in classrooms, teachings about gender identity and supposed use of hormone blockers.

"Just leave sex out of the schools," one told the crowd of Regina Public Schools' employees gathered to support the division.

Several stayed to the end of the meeting, videotaping and following Regina Public Schools' staff, despite repeated requests for these protesters to desist.

'It's just creating unsafe spaces': school division employee

Brendan Dickie, who works with Regina Public Schools, stood outside the school board office as the meeting went on, interacting with the protesters and defending lessons in classrooms.

"A lot of the rhetoric they were using in their conversation is the same sort of hateful vitriolic things that the queer community hears often, talking about how there's a hidden agenda, and we're sexualizing the kids."

Dickie described these efforts as a "strain" on queer educators and allies, as well as students in the classroom.

"It's just creating unsafe spaces for the kids."

Jaleta noted that May's school board meeting saw a protester disrupt the agenda and harass the board chair, necessitating tighter security at the June meeting.

However, he said the division would continue to affirm pride, diversity and inclusion in its classrooms.

"This is 2023 and we need inclusion, diversity. The face of Saskatchewan is changing," he said, adding that protesters should realize that trustees have no control or mandate over the curriculum.

"They need to stop."