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A school trustee continues to stand by much of what he said last spring, when a presentation he gave led to accusations of racism and prompted the province to undertake a review of governance of the Manitoba school division.

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On April 24, Mountain View School Division (MVSD) Trustee Paul Coffey raised alarms in the Dauphin Division and the Manitoba Legislature when he made a presentation he titled “Racism/Anti-Racism – Fine Until It’s Not.”

The presentation led then-Education Minister Nello Altomare to call for a review of MVSD governance and to appoint an oversight committee to monitor administrators’ actions and behaviors.

In the presentation, Coffey spoke out against implementing inclusiveness and anti-racism policies and activities in schools, and against the creation of school organizations aimed at supporting marginalized groups, including racialized groups, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, calling these groups a “source of division.”

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Coffey also outraged indigenous leaders, with controversial statements about indigenous people and their history in his presentation, suggesting that the term Indian continues to be used to refer to indigenous people and questioning why school curricula aren’t doing more to teaching what he says were the “good” aspects of residential schools. He also opposed indigenous land acknowledgments, calling the practice “divisive.”

Coffey spoke to Winnipeg Sunshine and sent a letter explaining his positions and why he will continue to denounce anti-racist programs and initiatives in schools. He cited his previous experience as the reason for his opposition, because before becoming an administrator, he worked for seven years as an occupational safety and health officer at MVSD.

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“In this role I ensured compliance with legislation, policies and procedures and helped develop key divisional procedures, including the Discrimination, Human Rights and Harassment Procedure ” Coffey said.

“In recent years, the government has focused on implementing new policies, such as anti-racism and inclusion initiatives, with significant funding. As someone familiar with policy development, it is my responsibility to advise the board to take a close look at new policies.

“While these initiatives may have good intentions, history shows that not all government-led projects yield good results. »

Coffey said he believes the best way to promote inclusiveness and combat racism in schools is to talk and teach less about racism and inclusiveness, and to teach children less about some of the past harm suffered by groups and individuals.

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“There’s no need to teach them directly if we make sure our kids get a solid, well-rounded education,” Coffey said. “When students master the basics, they are better equipped to understand complex societal issues such as inclusion, anti-racism, decolonization and reconciliation. »

In an email, a spokesperson for the Manitoba Teacher’s Society (MTS) said the MTS has a very different opinion when it comes to teaching about issues of racism and inclusion in schools, and said that there was no place in schools for “distorted history.”

“There is no place for hatred, distortion of history or lying in a school or on a school board,” MTS said. “School counselors play a vital role in shaping the character of education in a community and the environment in which students receive that education. »

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MTS also criticized Coffey’s claims that school organizations meant to support marginalized groups actually create more divisions in schools.

“We oppose any attempt to undermine students’ identities, limit their potential, or retraumatize communities seeking to take meaningful steps toward reconciliation,” MTS said.

“The Manitoba Teachers’ Society advocates for safe and supportive schools for all students, where culture and identity are honored and protected, and where academic excellence is rooted in truth.

The MVSD school board will look a lot different at its next meeting on Nov. 12, with four vacant seats filled in a byelection.

Coffey said he would be happy to see different opinions and perspectives brought to the board by the four elected directors, and would welcome “open and honest debate” when the board meets again next week.

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“I believe we need a more diverse board and I welcome different opinions,” Coffey said. “Let’s talk, but everyone needs to be able to talk, so let’s talk, then we’ll vote.”

The province said the review of MVSD governance continues and Acting Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said the province continues to have confidence in the work a government-appointed oversight committee is doing. the province to monitor conduct within the MVSD.

“Having an inclusive and safe environment for children to learn is a priority for our government,” Schmidt said in an emailed statement. “We appointed the panel to ensure stability and provide guidance regarding governance practices to the MVSD Board of Directors.

“The Oversight Committee looks forward to working with the Board as new members are onboarded, and they will continue to oversee progress on key priorities such as diversity, inclusion and reconciliation.”

Photo captions

Paul Coffey, administrator of the troubled Mountain View School Division (MVSD), says he continues to stand by much of what he said last spring, when a presentation he made led to accusations of racism and prompted the province to undertake a review of the governance of the MVSD. Handout

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter working for the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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