It will be several months before the New Brunswick government’s request to dissolve an education council will be heard.
Education Minister Bill Hogan has asked the courts to dissolve the Anglophone East District Education Council.
A Court of King’s Bench justice is scheduled to hear the case on Nov. 14 — after the next provincial election.
The court challenges steps over the province’s controversial decision to amend its school gender identity policy.
Under the updated Policy 713, schools now require parental consent if a student under 16 wants to informally use a different name or pronoun.
Hogan claims the DEC misused more than $400,000 by launching a legal battle over the policy.
The council, however, argues the changes made to the policy are discriminatory and endanger students.
“A District Education Council oversees a district with, for example in our case, a $231-million budget,” Dr. Kristin Cavoukian, a member of the DEC, told our newsroom earlier in July.
“A lot of that budget goes toward keeping students safe and this is another thing that goes toward keeping students safe. We absolutely reject the accusation that we’re misusing funds.”
Cavoukian said looking to dissolve the council is another way for the Higgs government to centralize power in Fredericton.
In addition to fighting the dissolution, the DEC is appealing a Court of King’s Bench decision which ruled they do not have standing to argue that Policy 713 violates Charter rights.
“The students in our district depend on us and we not only have to defend their interests, but we also need to set a good example for them,” added Cavoukian.
