School trustee calls actions of parents group pathetic, questions existence
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A Hanover School Board trustee has called a parents group “pathetic” and questioned whether the group even exists and its integrity.
During Tuesday night’s regular school board meeting, Trustee Brad Unger challenged the Hanover Parent Alliance for Diversity (HPAD) to come and meet with the board and share its concerns. HPAD was contacted by The Carillon in November to get its views about the lack of documentation regarding the provincial advisor’s findings about the board to the office of the minister of education. In April 2024, HPAD had also voiced its concerns regarding diversity and inclusion in the division for staff and students in a letter to then Minister of Education Nello Altomare. That letter led to the appointment of the provincial advisor.
The group has spoken to The Carillon on the condition of anonymity in order to protect their children who attend Hanover School Division.
“Now that’s ironic, an anonymous group complaining about accountability. So finally, I will put up a little challenge. I would like to challenge HPAD, if you actually exist, if you want to hear this challenge, I would like to challenge you to show that you are a people or a person of integrity…,” said Unger.
“By coming and meeting with the board as we have offered numerous times, you have been invited to come in and discuss your concerns. Because if there will only be discourse through the media, which is absolutely pathetic, then our society is going to be in really bad shape.”
Unger urged the group to come and speak to the board “like decent people would.”
An HPAD spokesperson cited a lack of trust regarding the school board and said if the group felt safe to come forward “without repercussions for ourselves or our kids, we would have done so.”
“Regarding Mr. Unger’s comments about us being pathetic and lacking accountability in his view, we are not the elected public officials who are to be held accountable – the board is. Slinging insults at us is not a good way to endear us to you, or make us feel that we as a group, or our concerns for the division, would be heard or respected in a safe place,” stated the spokesperson.
HPAD has contacted the minister of education regarding its concerns about a lack of documentation from the provincial advisor and is waiting for a response.