Trustee suspended for third time in three years

TRANSCONA’S school board has given a veteran member his third strike in as many years, but he’s not out of a job.

Rod Giesbrecht, a longtime trustee in the River East Transcona School Division, has been suspended for three months for breaching the board’s code of conduct.

Giesbrecht was disciplined twice during the 2023-24 school year for admitting he spoke out of turn about confidential board matters.

His colleagues voted to suspend him without pay — the most severe consequence available — on Sept. 9.

“Being censured three times in a row is rare,” said Colleen Carswell, chair of the board in charge of governance related to upwards of 40 schools across northeast Winnipeg.

Giesbrecht and Carswell are among the longest-serving trustees in Manitoba with more than 20 and 30 years of experience, respectively.

The chair declined to provide further explanation about the latest disciplinary action, citing confidentiality concerns, but she indicated each suspension is related to a unique event.

Giesbrecht, a pastor at Tabor Baptist Church, first got in trouble in August 2023 for discussing a land purchase with an external contact.

Following his first censure, he told the Free Press he had no regrets because the board was under a tight deadline to purchase 328 Peguis St., and he acted accordingly.

His public comments resulted in a suspension.

With his suspensions combined, Giesbrecht has been barred from the Roch Street boardroom for a fifth of his current four-year term, to date.

He is one of two representatives for Ward 2, which encompasses Peguis, Lakeside Meadows and surrounding communities.

Voters will cast ballots for the 2026-30 iteration of the self-governing board, along with Manitoba’s 37 other school boards, next fall.

Trustee hopefuls should be passionate about bettering education in their communities, but they also must recognize their voice is but one on a nine-seat board, Carswell said.

“When you’re elected as a trustee you have two things — you have a voice and you have a vote,” the chair said, adding no single person has “power.”

“It’s definitely a team approach.”

The Public Schools Act requires trustees “act with integrity and in a manner that maintains the dignity of the office.”

The officials are also expected to respect differing opinions and keep in-camera matters private unless authorized to disclose details to an external entity.

Giesbrecht did not respond to requests for comment Monday. He is anticipated to return to the boardroom on Dec. 10.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca