Alberta’s highest court has struck the decision by a Catholic school division requiring a trustee to publicly apologize for a social media post that compared children waving Pride flags to Nazi Germany.
The issue erupted in the summer of 2023 and led Monique LaGrange to resign from the board of Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools after fellow board members voted to disqualify her.
The social media post, which LaGrange later deleted, featured an image of children holding Pride flags in a classroom underneath an image of children waving swastikas, with the caption “brainwashing is brainwashing.”
The board ruled the post and media interviews LaGrange did in the weeks that followed violated division policies and the province’s education law. It sanctioned LaGrange by demanding an apology, censuring her from parts of her job and requiring she undergo sensitivity training.
LaGrange unsuccessfully challenged the board’s decisions multiple times in court.
On Wednesday, a panel of three Court of Appeal judges ruled partly in her favour, striking the ruling that she issue an apology.
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The court, in a written decision, says the board mandating LaGrange be “deeply sorry” amounts to compelled speech and imposes an impossible disciplinary standard, since she doesn’t believe she was in the wrong.
LaGrange had told the board that the “Holy Spirit” told her to make the social media post. She also told court she would do it again if she had the opportunity, says Wednesday’s court decision.
It notes that another court previously ruled the board couldn’t require an apology from LaGrange be “sincere,” since it amounted to compelled speech. The Appeal Court says it struck the entire apology requirement for the same reason.
It cited a number of past rulings about forced apologies, including one that determined they’re “likely to be regarded primarily as a form of unjust humiliation and not necessarily as a vindication of what is right.”
The court dismissed other aspects of LaGrange’s appeal, including her attempts to have the board’s decisions quashed for being unfair or unreasonable.
It also dismissed an argument by LaGrange’s lawyer that the board didn’t properly take Roman Catholic values into consideration.
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Red Deer school board reveals trustee argued Holy Spirit told her to post anti-LGBTQ2 meme -
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Monique LaGrange remains Red Deer school trustee but faces sanctions for online post -
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Deliberations underway on future of Red Deer trustee Monique LaGrange -
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Alberta Teachers’ Association wants Red Deer trustee to resign after ‘hateful post’
The court says whether LaGrange’s post represented those values is irrelevant and subject to “considerable disagreement,” because her actions violated board rules.
“Ms. LaGrange was not sanctioned for her religious beliefs – she was sanctioned for engaging in conduct contrary to the behavioural standards set out in the (board’s) code of conduct,” says the decision.
“The offensive aspect of her conduct was not her personal beliefs about homosexuality or what she calls ‘gender ideology,’ but rather her choice to use her social media platform to ostensibly equate support for gender and sexual diversity with Nazism.”
James Kitchen, LaGrange’s lawyer, said in an email that they’re pleased with the decision striking the apology sanction. ”Especially since this has practical utility for other trustees and councillors encountering compelled apologies from their respective boards and councils,” he said. ”It is good to see that the Court of Appeal at least got that right.”
The school division didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
LaGrange ran for municipal council in Red Deer County last year but was defeated.
I’m totally in agreement with Lagrange. The photographs should be posted all over the city to clue-in parents on what their children are “learning” in the classroom. Politicians are too scared to address this issue, it’s up to the parents to insist on changes. Unfortunately it’s too late for the kids that have already been indoctrinated. We need to teach our children the basics. Reading, writing, arithmetic, science, geography, etc…
Not all these warped special interests.
She is not incorrect in her analysis of the evidence!
LaGrange is absolutely correct. In fact, what is Liberalism…?
Jason,I thought I told you last night when I caught you didling your willie to AI generated pictures of David Eby naked,that your internet privileges were suspended
I just dont know what to do with you Jason.The weird stuff with the squirrels was one thing but now this as well.
Unbelievable
Naziism gets this huge stain when really it wasn’t nearly as bad as Pride.
I hope she sues the school board and wins
I see returd J putting his one cent in LoL 😂
Why are all the normal people in Alberta, and left scumbags in rest of cunada
Alberta is going to make cunada RIGHT again
Understand what she is saying…. however….wrong choice of words
I applaud Ms. LaGrange for standing her ground.
The Holy Spirit thing was a bit much but, let’s face it, she wasn’t given a choice, or the ability to defend herself before the “board” muzzled her and demanded apology.
Ms. LaGrange has NOTHING to apologize for.
We talk a big talk about the freedom of speech and freedom of religion but, in reality, those are definitely a thing of the past in socialist-run Canada.
Wendy, please enlighten me, what religion is it that the ‘alphabet people’ belong to?
If Monique wants to find a real NAZl then all she has to do is go look in the f**king mirror. She can take her “apology” and shove it straight up her holy A$$ LOL
It’s weird how Canadian law ignores her religion but upholds the alphabet people’s religion. One believes it is wrong the other believes it’s right.
Why do so many rednecks choose to live in Alberta? It’s embarrassing.
She’s definitely right!
She’s right on the money with her comparison!! Unfortunately, the alphabet soup group (groomers) has been indoctrinated by social media with their mental illness!
The purple-hairs are angry, I’m shocked.