The Democracy Fund (TDF) is pursuing legal action against the Board of Trustees of the Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools over the expulsion of Monique LaGrange, an elected trustee removed from her position in November. LaGrange, who was democratically elected to the board in 2021, faced expulsion after allegedly failing to comply with sanctions imposed for posting a controversial meme on her Facebook account.The meme in question featured two side-by-side photographs: one depicting children holding swastika flags and the other featuring children holding pride progress flags. The caption accompanying the meme read, "brainwashing is brainwashing." This post garnered both support and disapproval from the community.In response to the controversial meme, the board requested an apology from LaGrange. However, she refused, stating, "I was elected to stand up and protect our children and that is what I am doing."The board, asserting LaGrange breached their code of conduct, imposed sanctions, including ordering her to undergo sensitivity training at her own expense. Additionally, she was barred from making public statements about the Holocaust and sexual minorities, representing the board officially, and speaking with news outlets.Despite these sanctions, LaGrange released an interview with Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson, filmed before the board's decision and posted another meme featuring a wolf wearing colourful makeup with the caption, "I just want to read some books to your chickens." These actions allegedly led the board to vote for LaGrange's expulsion as a trustee.TDF, in collaboration with lawyer James Kitchen, is challenging the board's decisions. On December 18 2023, Kitchen filed two applications for judicial review in the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta. The applications argue that the board's decisions lacked fairness and contained legal errors, including misinterpretation of the board’s policies. TDF asserts that the sanctions were invalid, inappropriate or disproportionate.
