Members of the public will now be allowed to record meetings of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board following a successful legal intervention by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.On Monday, the board voted to reverse its ban on public recordings. The motion, introduced by Trustee Conrad Stanley, was passed after Stanley cited a legal warning letter as a key factor prompting the discussion. The Justice Centre had challenged the constitutionality of the board’s informal restrictions, arguing they violated the public's right to freedom of expression.“We are pleased to see that the trustees have come through and made a decision to protect the freedom of expression of the public in the Waterloo Region and foster democratic accountability in the school board,” said Hatim Kheir, a constitutional lawyer with the Justice Centre.The issue dates back to January 27, when Kitchener resident and long-time board observer Jack Fonesca was warned he would be removed from a meeting if he attempted to record it. Fonesca had tried to take a photo before the meeting began but was told he could take only one and that all further photography, video, or audio recording was banned.Despite having no formal policy in place, Board Chair Wendy Price Sikora later confirmed that the restrictions had been implemented at the sole discretion of Director John Dowling. The board then updated its website to explicitly ban all forms of public recording during meetings and introduced additional security measures, including photo ID checks and bag searches.The Justice Centre issued a warning letter on February 24, calling the ban unconstitutional. That same day, Stanley introduced a motion to override the director’s decision and allow public recordings — a motion that was ultimately passed in May.
