Scanned, recopied or Internet copy, if there are errors, please e-mail me with corrections:
Opening comments: Maybe more at the end.
Back to the Lyndwood School Cover-up.
ATTN: Marion Smith - Executive assistant for Board meetings - Agenda item.
ATTN: Janet McDougald - Trustee & Chair.
ATTN: Suzanne Nurse - Trustee & Vice-Chair.
ATTN: Tony Pontes - Director of Education and Secretary.
ATTN: All other Trustees - Stan Cameron - Beryl Ford - David Green - Meredith Johnson -
Steve Kavanagh - Sue Lawton - Brad MacDonald - Harinder Malhi - Jeff White - Rick Williams.
5650 Hurontario Str.
Miss. Ont. L5R 1C6 Fax.# 905 890-6698
RE: Formal letter of Complaint - regarding Conflict of Interest & Bias by the Peel District School Board (PDSB) Chair - Janet McDougald
& all other members of the PDSB.
Dear Sirs: Feb. 3, 2012
Opening Statement;
This letter is the beginning of the Complaint process regarding clear cases of Conflict of Interest & Bias by the Peel District School Board (PDSB) Chair - Janet McDougald & all other members of the PDSB. That have been occurring after the Dec. 1, 2011, announcement of the renaming of Hartsdale Public School to Janet McDougald Public School. It is my understanding that there is no Complaint Policy for Complaints against the Board or Trustees and/or anyone else in the PDSB. No Complaint forms and no Complaint has been filed in at least 20 years, if ever against Board members. As such, certain items will likely need to be worked out regarding process. More documents will need to be filed and review when they become available. Given the fact this is taking place in Mississauga, a City that has paid out millions to deal with Conflict of Interest regarding a politician (who is involved in this matter too) who has been many years in office, that there is strong public opinion regarding it and Canadian Law has ZERO tolerance for those who sit on Boards and display Conflict of Interest & Bias - this corrupt practice must be fully investigated & ended.
In my Jan. 23/12, letter, legal definitions and Court ruling have been provided to show the standard by which Conflict of Interest & Bias is measured. In brief it is - "The fundamental principle is that a man may not be a judge in his own cause." and other definitions boil down to this - If a reasonable, unbiased and right-minded persons in the community are made aware of the facts and see the “probability”, see the appearance of and/or have the “apprehension” that Board members may or have not acted in a totally “impartial manner” then there are grounds to say there is a case of Conflict of Interest & Bias. It is also true that in cases like this, decisions and acts made by the offender should not be allowed to stand.
- 1 - - 2 -
The facts of this matter;
The facts and details will be laid out in greater detail shortly but given their nature the outline to follow will show grounds for this Complaint. As it deals when public events after Dec. 1, most have records to refer to. A key element of this Complaint is public opinion regarding the actions of those involved and the standard of care the PDSB should be applying and concern it should have for public opinion. In most legal decisions, policies and guidelines, decision makers must appear to be unbias and impartial in the eyes of the public / taxpayers / those who are being served. Members of the public are not lawyers, often can’t hire one at a drop of the hat to deal with issues like this - so it is up to Boards to pro-active and make every effort to understand the meaning of what is being said, in legal terms, if the public doesn’t know the correct words. Given the fact that the opinions expressed by the public, in public, by way of letters, voice messages & Delegations as well as, those expressed by the media, including the Internet - I submit they form a key element as they inform the Board and its members that the very serious offence of Conflict of Interest & Bias has occurred. To which the Board must take all actions to rectify this wrong, its unjust, corrupt & unlawful methods can not be allowed. Canadians have the promise of good government and this means they must be able to see it, given the facts in this case, they see just the opposite.
The renaming of Hartsdale Public School to Janet McDougald Public School is an issue that has a personal and special value to the PDSB Trustree & Chair Janet McDougald. She was specifically asked this question Jan. 24/12, in a PDSB meeting - “I have one quick question to the Chair Janet McDougald. In regards to having a school named after you, is it something you desired, something you had an interest in or maybe something you saw a value in? Janet McDougald - I certainly see great value in it. I am very honoured to have that recognition, especially by the colleagues, my colleagues on the Board. And it is a wonderful credit to the work that I have done but mostly on behalf of my family I am very honoured.” She openly and freely confessed that she personally and her family see “great value” in the gift of having a school renamed after her.
It is a mater of record that she has never declared any Conflict of Interests regarding this matter, would not remove herself from the Board meeting, earlier that night (Jan. 24), when asked to as the renaming issue was going to be dealt with and she has been involved in answering question & letters, etc. on the same issue.
That all members of the PDSB are aware of the Chair’s actions both at meetings and outside of them and still they do not uphold the correct policies, guidelines and law to end this clear case of Conflict of Interest & Bias or a person judging their own cause.
There is a great deal to add, including videos and how this can affect students - what will they learn?
At this time, the request is made that the PDSB Chair - Janet McDougald - apology for her actions, decline having this school named after her, at this time and that any future renaming of Hartsdale Public School be done with a fully public process. If done so, this Complaint will be withdrawn and PDSB can get on with the task of making sure things like this don’t happen again.
- 3 -
Please find enclosed;
1). Policy - Code of Conduct for Members of PDSB - Appendix B - pdf - 7 pages.
2). Policy - Conflict of Interest - Human Resources Support Services 43 - pdf - 10 pages.
3). Policy 7 - Conduct of Business - 1 page.
4). Policy 8 - Conflict of Interest - 4 pages.
5). Policy 26 - Matters Judicial - 2 pages.
6). Policy 27 - Naming of Schools - 1 page.
7). Policy 65 - Code of Conduct - 1 page.
8). Excerpts from the Sept. 27, 2011 - PDSB - Regular Meeting Minutes - 1 page.
9). Excerpts from the Dec. 1, 2011 - PDSB - Annual Organizational Meeting Minutes - 2 pages
10). Excerpts from the Dec. 13, 2011 - PDSB - Regular Meeting Minutes - 1 page.
11). Excerpts from the Jan. 10, 2012 - PDSB - Regular Meeting Minutes - 2 pages.
12). The Dec. 1, 2011 - Canadian News Wire - News Release by the Peel District School Board - 1 page.
13). The Dec. 2, 2011 - Mississauga News - School renamed in board chair's honour Comments (8) - 4 pages.
14). The Dec. 5, 2011 - On-line Petition - Stop HARTSDALE AVENUE PUBLIC SCHOOL from being renamed Janet McDouglad Public School
- 1 page. 136 signatures
15). Copy of Web-page - Facebook - Janet McDougld STOP - 1 page.
16). Copy of Web-page - tweetmeme - Stop HARTSDALE AVENUE PUBLIC SCHOOL from being renamed - petition Online Canada - 1 page.
17). The Dec. 6, 2011 (10:03 am) - Mississauga News - Renaming stirs controversy Comments (15) - 6 pages.
18). The Dec. 6, 2011(4:52 pm) - CBC - Renaming Mississauga school causes controversy - 3 pages. Comments (8)
- 4 -
19). The Dec. 6, 2011 (6:27 am) - Mississauga News - Editoral - Names get political Comments (2) - 2 pages.
20). The Dec. 6, 2011 (11:11 am) - Mississauga News - School renaming sparks controversy - 16 pages. Comments (58)
21). The Dec. 8, 2011 - Toronto Star - Names schools in public, Ministry says - 1 page.
22). The Dec. 8, 2011 - Mississauga News - Pick names in public: Ministry (Torstar) Comments (19) - 7 pages.
23). The Dec. 8, 2011 - Mississauga News - Peel Board stands by decision - 6 pages. Comments (14)
24). The Dec. 14, 2011 - Mississauga News - School renaming passed - 3 pages. Comments (9)
25). The Jan. 11, 2012 - Mississauga News - Nobody asked us: Parents - 2 pages. Comments (5)
26). Jan. 13, 2012 - Lakeview Ratepayers Association - Letter asking for a reconsideration of the renaming - 1 page.
27). Jan. 13, 2012 - The Democratic Reporter (local Internet media) - News Release that announced the beginning of the posting articles and links about
the renaming / cover-up - 1 page.
28). Jan. 13, 2012 - The Compleat Citizen Newsletter (Port Credit & Mississauga) - begins posting articles and links about the renaming - 1 page.
29). The Jan. 19, 2012 - Mississauga News - Ratepayers challenge naming - 3 pages. Comments (7)
30). The Jan. 24, 2012 - Toronto Star - Peel board to discuss school-naming policy, director says. - 1 page.
31). The Jan. 25, 2012 - Mississauga News - School board to examine naming policy Comments (3) - 2 pages.
32). Copy of the Dec. 6, 2011, letter from Tony Pontes - Director of Education - 1 page.
33). Copy of the Dec. 1, 2011 - PDSB - Inaugural Address by Janet McDougald - 3 pages.
34). Copy of the Dec. 2, 2011, letter from Beatrice Jankowski - 1 page.
35). Copy of the Dec. 2, 2011, notice about the Dec. 6th, information update meeting - 1 page.
36). Copy of the Jan. 13, 2011, Lakeview Ratepayers Association letter - 1 page.
37). Copy of my Jan. 23, 2012, letter to the PDSB - 7 pages.
- 5 -
38). Copy of the Jan. 24, 2012, PDSB response to Randall and Helen O’Malley’s Delegation - 3 pages.
39). Copy of the Jan. 24, 2012, PDSB response to Donald Barber’s Delegation - 3 pages.
I am willing to discuss my letter with you and there is an answering machine you can leave a detailed private message on.
My phone number is (905) ***-**** & E-mail.
Sincerely yours,
______________________
Mr. Donald Barber
- Editor of The Democratic Reporter
- Candidate for Mayor 1994, 1997, 2000, 2006 and 2010.
cc. To Queens Park - media - Internet - Ratepayers - wording for petition - Peel Council - Other Cities & interested parties.
Home Page - Main Table of Contents - Back Up A Page - Back to Top
[COMMENTS BY DON B. - ]