Keeping Trustees Accountable: Pushing Back Against Hateful Rhetoric

The past year has seen an exponential increase in hate-filled rhetoric by the far-right in Canada. Within Ontario, we saw municipal trustee candidates endorsing hateful platforms and openly engaging in transphobic, homophobic, and racist ideologies with no remorse. While many of these candidates lost their local elections, we are witnessing a social movement against “wokeness,” and unless it is actively countered and stopped, the movement will continue.

Being “woke” was coined by Black communities in the early 20th century. In the past couple of decades, it’s been used more dominantly to signify someone who is critical of the “mainstream” and striving for something better, with particular attention to anti-oppression and social justice.

It has become a staple of far-right conservative education politics to be “anti-woke.”

While this hate is meant to attack “equity and human rights,” we must recognize that equity and human rights include a socio-economic class analysis with frontline workers being marginalized by this capitalistic system. Thus, by tackling hateful trustees who explicitly express their opinions against equity, we are not only supporting members and students from marginalized communities but also weakening Conservative politics in our education system.

Equity and human rights should not be partisan. Unfortunately, selfish politicians looking to spark populist movements have used divisions and/or societal misunderstandings for personal benefit. We must lead with empathy to decolonize and bring back care into our political systems.

In April 2018, the Minister of Education declared that every school board was to have a Code of Conduct that applied to all Trustees and should be reviewed by May 15, 2023, and then every May afterwards. The Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA) provides a template for the Trustee Code of Conduct Policy, which was used by many boards. However, some boards took the initiative to add equity and human rights focused language, which can be used to hold hateful trustees to account.

To turn these thoughts and words into action in your local area, consider talking to your district executive to request that they ask your board for the annual review of the Trustee Code of Conduct Policy. Consider finding opportunities to bring your Members together to educate and engage in collective action for your board to include equity and human right principles and practice, if they have not already, in their Trustee Code of Conduct Policy.

The following OSSTF/FEESO Provincial accounts are available for Districts/Bargaining Units and/or Members to fund these actions.

#2016 – Anti-Racism & Equity Training for Members

#2018 – Anti-Racism and Equity Training

#2035 – Inter-District Meetings

#2045 – Involving the Not Yet Engaged

#2047 – Community Outreach

#2050 – PAC District Special Programs

#2080 – District Human Rights Funding

Derik Chica, District 12, Toronto Teachers Bargaining Unit (TTBU), is a Member of the Provincial Communications and Political Action Committee.