Suspended Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) trustee Mike Ramsay revealed he was barred from performing his duties because of his conservative social media posts. .“My colleagues are on track to spend (estimate) appx $150k to defend the divisive identity politics they are pushing on our community,” said Ramsay in a Sunday tweet. ."SAD." .He was able to obtain a copy of the complaint because he is suing the WRDSB for suspending him. .Ramsay, who is black, was censured and sanctioned by six white trustees for not supporting progressive causes in June. .READ MORE: Cancelled conservative Ontario school board trustee announces re-election bid.The vote happened because of a complaint by WRDSB trustee Laurie Tremble. Despite being suspended, he announced he would be seeking reelection. .“I have made the improvement of the public education system in this community a major focus of my professional and personal life, and I hope to earn the confidence of the community,” he said. .The complaint said Ramsay’s tweets breached the WRDSB’s code of conduct. .“Instead of upholding decisions made the board, by staff at the WRDSB, or by the Ministry of Education, instead of striving to understand and explain those decisions as required by the Education Act, instead of trying to encourage confidence in public education, Trustee Ramsay is attempting to discredit the WRDSB and public education in Ontario,” said the WRDSB. .The first tweet the complaint mentions is one he shared from Quillette associate editor Jonathan Kay in January. ."It discloses a lot of relevant information," said Ramsay. .Kay said WRDSB chair Scott Piatkowski, “the social justice champ who throws women out of @wrdsb meetings if they have him lip, is the only white guy in the group." .Kay was referencing former WRDSB teacher Carolyn Burjoski, who was expelled from a school board meeting in January after she objected to books about sexuality being put in elementary school libraries. .READ MORE: Justice Centre files lawsuit against Ontario school board for expelling teacher.The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) took legal action against the school board on behalf of Burjoski in June. .“Ms. Burjoski is a former teacher with sincere concerns about the appropriateness of the sexual content being shared with elementary school-aged children in Waterloo Region schools,” said JCCF lawyer Jorge Pineda. .The complaint said Ramsay was suspended because he attacked Piatkowski by sharing another tweet from Kay. ."Timely and relevant," he said. .Kay had called WRDSB’s treatment of Burjoski “a farce.” .The complaint went on to say the WRDSB was disturbed he shared an op-ed in the Waterloo Region Record from fellow trustee Cindy Watson, saying the school board engaged in a lack of consultation. .“Public education should equal public consultation, but that’s not always the case,” said Watson. .“In my opinion, broad consultation hasn’t happened for decisions that impact students, parents and staff the most, for the last few years.”.The complaint continued by saying the WRDSB disapproved of Ramsay telling Piatkowski he knows reports of death threats are taken seriously because he is a former police officer. ."And, are thoroughly investigated with full cooperation of complainants (ie access to accounts where threats were received)," he said.."Trust you will share results of investigation.".The WRDSB said it suspended him because he shared a column from True North columnist Sue-Ann Levy, who it called “an alt-right commentator.” .“The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) doubled down on its far-left antics this week rather than take steps to reverse the decisions that have made it the laughingstock of Ontario,” said Levy. .“The meeting should have begun with an apology from WRDSB chair Scott Piatkowksi to parents, and more specifically to the teacher whom he and other trustees rudely cancelled in the middle of her presentation on Jan. 17.” .The WRDSB said these tweets are “unprofessional, demeaning, and damaging to the board as a whole, and they do not encourage public confidence in the board.” .“Many more examples of damaging tweets and retweets that amplify harm and sow doubt in the minds of the community regarding the WRDSB and the Board of Trustees and that are demeaning and disrespectful of fellow trustees can be provided if necessary,” it said.
