The Ancaster High School Council has reversed a controversial ban on recording public meetings after receiving a legal warning from lawyers funded by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF).The reversal came during the council’s Wednesday's meeting, where Chair Roxanne Dunmore confirmed the ban had been lifted. The move followed clarification from the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, which said it was not responsible for the school council’s earlier prohibition on recordings.Constitutional lawyer Hatim Kheir said the outcome was “a double victory for transparency and parental rights.”“We are doubly pleased that the board is not attempting to interfere in school council affairs by imposing a recording ban and that the Ancaster High School Council has reversed course,” said Kheir. “This increases transparency and accessibility for all parents with students attending the school.”.The dispute traces back to parent and elected school council member Catherine Kronas, who had repeatedly challenged the council’s refusal to allow recordings of its public meetings. Kronas said that being able to document meetings accurately “ensures transparency and builds confidence between parents, schools, and the broader community.”“I’m pleased that the Ancaster High School Council upheld transparency by reversing its recording ban,” she said. “This is an important victory made possible thanks to the generous support and legal guidance funded by the Justice Centre.”Kronas, a parent at Ancaster High Secondary School, had previously been suspended from the council in May 2025 after she asked that her objection to land acknowledgements be included in the meeting minutes. Following a legal warning issued by JCCF lawyers, the Board reinstated her, conceding that her suspension violated her Charter-protected right to freedom of expression..The latest reversal marks yet another retreat from what critics say are unlawful restrictions on parents’ participation in public education governance.The Justice Centre, known for defending constitutional freedoms across Canada, said the decision sets a precedent for other school councils that have attempted to restrict recordings or silence dissenting voices.“This case reaffirms that public bodies cannot hide behind closed doors,” Kheir said. “Parents have every right to observe, record, and participate in the governance of their children’s education.”
