Seine River SD to assert support for human diversity

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This article was published 19/09/2023 (670 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Parents, teachers and administration now have their opportunity to give input on a new respect for human diversity policy that will be brought forward at Seine River School Division’s (SRSD) Oct. 24 board meeting.

Board Chair Wendy Bloomfield called the policy straightforward, with specific procedure rules to enforce it to come. She said there are no issues in Seine River right now, but there were in other school divisions.

“We were more interested in what was happening around us, primarily Louis Riel School Division and Brandon School Division. And we just felt that we wanted to make a statement that we’re wanting to stand strong with other schools and school divisions in the province, and make sure we uphold the rights of all students and all staff in our division to be welcomed and free from any discrimination,” explained Bloomfield.

Winnipeg’s Louis Riel division at an online-only meeting in August banned a group of 35 people who disrupted a school board meeting in June. The group showed up to the meeting there in support of trustee Francine Champagne who was suspended two weeks for social media comments deemed disrespectful to the transgender community. Champagne received the maximum three-month suspension at the June meeting, and Louis Riel also held its September meeting only online.

Police were called at the end of the Louis Riel June meeting to have people leave peacefully.

Brandon School Division (BSD) in May turned down a proposal in front of hundreds who attended their meeting to form a committee to review what books should be allowed on library shelves, and to ban some books dealing with sexual and gender identity. Most in attendance were reported to be against the review and book ban ideas, with six out of 290 emails and letters in support, according to BSD.

Accusations of grooming and pedophilia were heard from attendees at both the Louis Riel and Brandon meetings, according to trustees and media in attendance.

The Seine River policy states that the school division is comprised of staff and students from diverse communities and that it, “asserts its commitment to appreciating, respecting, accommodating, and supporting human diversity in all its forms.”

It adds that the commitment is based on the Manitoba Human Rights Code, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Continually striving for actions that support this commitment will ensure that SRSD is an inclusive community in which staff, students and visitors feel welcomed, accepted, valued and empowered to engage, learn and contribute fully for the benefit of all,” read the proposed policy.

Bloomfield insisted residents will still be able to voice their concerns to the board after this policy is voted on.

“If individuals who are resident-electors of our school division come forward with information concerns, they have a right to speak to the board. And we have a duty to listen. It doesn’t mean that we are able to address every single opinion that might be out there. We still have to make sure that we have a policy that is in place for the vast majority,” said Bloomfield.

“But we certainly would always be open to listening to people who are residents of our communities and to bring forward their concerns, and honestly take them with seriousness. We’re not just going to blow people off.

“But we are also not going to entertain groups that have no connection to our school division,” added Bloomfield.

She added that Seine River has not had to deal with these issues or similar issues in the past, like the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) groups for students debate of a decade ago.

“And that’s how pervasive our inclusivity and honesty, respect and empathy is in our school division: that when students came forward and talked about wanting GSAs in the schools, it was like this is a done deal. We know that students in our schools are gay, are straight, are whatever, they’re all accepted, period,” said Bloomfield.

Superintendent Dr. Ryan Anderson wanted to stress this goes for teachers and other staff as well. In fact, he said teachers came forward in the spring of 2022 wanting an update to the diversity policy well before the Winnipeg and Brandon controversies.

Anderson agreed that in the end, things will not change much on how the school division operates thanks to Seine River’s inclusive culture.

“The core values of this place have been in place for more than 20 years around honesty, empathy and respect. And those are pervasive through our system,” said Anderson.

Bloomfield said she had been reflecting a lot on this recently.

“A lot of it bothers me as an individual because we are all human beings. We’re all the same blood inside of us; we all have the same everything. We need to learn more tolerance and be more tolerant of all viewpoints.

“And that’s why I say if people live in our school division, and if they raise concerns about something we’re doing, we’ll listen. Doesn’t mean we’re going to change,” said Bloomfield.