An Abbotsford school board trustee is stepping away from his duties temporarily after sharing an image on social media that compared mask-wearing to slavery.
Phil Anderson shared an image on his Facebook page that showed a face mask flying from a flagpole with the caption “The flag of slavery.”
In a statement, Abbotsford School Board Chair Stan Petersen said they became aware of the “offensive” social media posts on Thursday.
“We emphatically state that this is not reflective of our board’s position,” he said.
“The Abbotsford board of education is fundamentally committed to providing a safe, equitable and inclusive environment for all our students, staff and families. The board is strongly committed to anti-racism, and opposes hate in any form.
“In addition, we remain committed to fully implementing the provincial public health and safety procedures, and strongly support the work of our staff who have been dedicated to our students throughout the pandemic.”
Anderson has agreed to apologize, remove the posts and refrain from using social media, the statement said.
The statement went on to say Anderson has agreed to step away from his duties temporarily to “take training to build a better understanding of these issues.”
A year ago, the Chilliwack School Board censured a trustee over a Facebook post espousing a conspiracy theory that linked COVID-19 and transgender rights and targeted the country’s top doctor.
Barry Neufeld’s post drew condemnation from B.C.’s education minister, Chilliwack’s school board chair, and transgender rights advocates. He later apologized for his comments, including the attack on chief medical health officer Dr. Theresa Tam.
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