Suspended school trustee unrepentant about disclosing confidential information

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This article was published 05/10/2023 (740 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A longtime trustee has been barred from the boardroom since the start of the school year after he was found to have spoken out of turn about confidential matters in the River East Transcona School Division.

Rod Giesbrecht, who has more than 20 years of experience as a school board member, is midway through a three-month suspension — the most severe penalty possible under the Public Schools Act.

The RETSD board unanimously voted to sanction him in the summer, citing a breach of its code of conduct related to disclosing a board secret. The Ward 2 representative has been on unpaid leave since Aug. 25.

“Would I have done it again? Frankly, I would have,” he told the Free Press.

Giesbrecht, a pastor and chaplain at St. Boniface Hospital, admitted to discussing an in-camera item — which involved a land purchase — with an external contact. He justified his actions by suggesting the board was under a tight deadline and he acted accordingly.

Board chairwoman Colleen Carswell was not made available for comment Thursday due to her participation in provincial bargaining talks with the teachers’ union.

RETSD administration issued a statement on her behalf that noted local trustees work together to continually improve public education and do so by self-monitoring and investigating alleged breaches of its board code of conduct and the Public Schools Act.

“(Manitoba legislation) provides means by which to ensure that the boards of trustees perform at exemplary levels of trustworthiness and accountability,” per the statement.

“We had 48 hours to react. I needed to get the city involved because (the matter) involved them, so I talked to one of the city councillors,” Giesbrecht said. “I would’ve lost a piece of land otherwise.”

Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) did not respond to a request for comment.

RETSD is one of the fastest-growing districts in the province, with about 18,000 students registered across 42 schools.

Since mid-2022, the district has welcomed hundreds of Ukrainian youths fleeing Russia’s war on their home country. A fire that broke out in Westview School in March 2022 and caused significant structural damage, has also left trustees scrambling to find enough space for its ever-expanding population.

The Progressive Conservative government defeated in Tuesday’s provincial election promised to build nine new schools, including a kindergarten-to-Grade 8 elementary building in RETSD, through a public-private partnership.

The Transcona site was slated open at 328 Peguis St. — currently home to the Sumka Brothers Greenhouses, whose owners are planning to move after the upcoming season — in 2027.

The future of the project is unclear, given the incoming NDP condemned the P3 model.

Giesbrecht’s three-month suspension was issued after it was “duly discussed” and debated at the board table, according to RETSD. The board indicated the internal personnel issue is now considered closed.

While noting he is displeased the board issued him a harsh punishment, Giesbrecht said he is not regretful about having to sit on the sidelines for three months because he acted “for the benefit of the children, in the big picture.”

RETSD will be better off in 100 years as a result, he said.

The Ward 2 representative is anticipated to return to work at the end of November.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca