A directive from Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) purportedly instructing teachers to remove Pride materials from schools and compel teachers to only refer to students by their legal names is being called dangerous and irresponsible.
The 10,600-student school division includes schools in Innisfail and Olds.
“A secret directive given to teachers of Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools should be cause for great concern for students, their parents and teachers alike,” Lizette Tejada, NDP critic for anti-racism, diversity and 2SLGBTQ+ issues said in a release Monday.
“Reports say teachers have been directed to remove safe space stickers, refuse to acknowledge a student’s preferred name, and require teachers to not ask or tell what a student’s preferred pronouns are.”
Kathleen Finnigan, superintendent of RDCRS, did not immediately return calls seeking comment and more information. RDCRS board of trustees chair, Murray Hollman, also did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Jason Schilling, head of the Alberta Teachers' Association, reportedly said, “I’ve heard from my members who are in that area (RDCRS division) about how disturbed they are by these directives by the superintendent and by the board. The members that I’m talking to are exasperated, they’re exhausted and they’re embarrassed by this.”
He said a number of RDCRS teachers have told him Finnigan has been travelling to schools in the division outlining the directive and prohibiting anyone from taking photographs of the presentation.
Official Opposition media spokesperson Jerry Toews said the Opposition planned to raise the matter during question period in the legislature today.
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