KITCHENER, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — School trustee Wendy Ashby has announced her resignation after anti-Christian tweets led to outrage from more than 3,000 parents.
On Sunday, May 14, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) trustee issued a resignation statement. Parents had petitioned for her removal after a tweet surfaced wherein Ashby called white Christian males “the most dangerous creature on the planet.”
Ashby’s resignation did not include an apology for her tweets. She claimed that “the outrageous rage baiting campaign that has been playing out illustrates the exact kind of harassment and online bullying that so many kids experience.”
The former Catholic school board trustee asserted that “diverse voices, when elected, come with truth and history.”
“Expecting these voices to assimilate because the historical truth they challenge makes some uncomfortable is something that should be reflected on,” she added.
“I have been encouraged to continue the internal process and remain in my duly elected seat by so many,” Ashby claimed. “I appreciate the support. It was overwhelming, and I know that most understand the historical context to which I was referring.”
“I stand, as always with our Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community,” she continued. “Particularly with transgender and nonbinary folks at this time of great uncertainty and fear.”
As Catholics, we are taught that we must love our neighbour and treat every individual as a child of God, accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity.
Parents make a clear choice when they decide that their children will attend a Catholic school. They rightly expect that trustees, principals, teachers all partners in education will ensure that Catholic teaching is presented, lived and infused in all that we do. In that regard, the appropriate symbol that represents our faith, and the inclusion and acceptance of others, is the cross, which is visible at the entrance of every Catholic school. It is the primary symbol of our Christian faith.
We have created this petition to express opposition of flying the pride flag at schools for the month of June. Our kids should not be forced to celebrate anyones sexuality, and a flag will do nothing to keep anyone more safe. Its nothing more than a symbol of sexual celebration, completely inappropriate.
Catholicism and parental rights are being threatened, and we will not allow teachers who are LGBTQ to influence our children.
We are not homophobes. We are trying to shield our children from any sexual ideologies, both gay and straight. Children are minors who have a right to a normal and innocent childhood. We are not STAKEHOLDERS. We are parents. EQUITY is not and will never be the same as EQUALITY. Inclusion means EVERYONE and the York Region Catholic District School Board & its Union members are infringing upon our religious beliefs by suffocating our children with woke political agendas & indoctrinations when they should be focusing on educating our kids!
We love all humans equally. Hate is the wrong word to describe parents feelings about the climate in schools today. Parents protesting the pride flag at school do not harbour any negative feelings towards the LGBTQ+ community. We do however feel that their rights seem to supersede everyone elses. We also believe that kids should never learn about sex at school and we condemn any classroom discussion or public display that encourages or promotes gender confusion and same sex lifestyles in a classroom setting. We also strongly condemn the nature of several library books that contain sensitive material on homosexuality and transgender issues in elementary school libraries. Similarly, we harbour no contempt for transgenders as individuals but their insistence on using female-only spaces is invasive.
The promotion of a pride sticker and the likelihood that a flag will go up in June at all schools suggests a particular political agenda, which warrants examination. Concern about alleged incidents of bullying directed at the LGBTQ community within schools has been raised. However when requesting specific information on the actual number of such reports, it was communicated that the data is currently confidential and not publicly available. Despite clarifying that only the number of incidents was desired, the same response was given.
The lack of transparency and information provided by the York Region Catholic District School Board concerning alleged incidents combined with these extreme campaigns using safe space stickers to promote political agendas, raises necessary questions about their motives. Despite facing opposition from relevant individuals, including the Archbishop of Toronto and Cardinal Collins, who have both explicitly expressed their disapproval of such displays, the union and its members have vehemently insisted the stickers remain.
We must stand up against this before the Board caves to the pressure of political correctness and decide to raise the pride flag too.
Please share this. We must get as many signatures as possible before May 20th so that we may present a united front at this months meeting with this petition in hand that will speak for itself and will represent all of us.
Thank you.
Sheree D
Teresa Pierre, president of Parents as First Educators (PAFE), told LifeSiteNews, “People like Wendy Ashby, who promote religious bigotry, hatred and racism are completely unsuited for public office. PAFE is glad that Ashby has finally resigned.”
Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) president Jeff Gunnarson welcomed the news, saying, “CLC is delighted by this result, which demonstrates the effectiveness of principled protest by responsible parents and other fair-minded citizens.”
However, he expressed sorrow that Ashby’s resignation statement “continues to demonstrate just how much she abhors the teaching of the Catholic Church and Christian morality, and how profoundly delusional her view of human sexuality has become.”
“Sadly, there is no contrition from Ms. Ashby here, nor a desire to be conformed to Church’s moral doctrine, but only an implied threat to continue working by whatever means to undermine authentic Catholic Church teaching,” he continued.
“Perhaps the gravest threat in her resignation statement is her vow to keep pushing for the sexual mutilation of children under the veil of ‘transgender and nonbinary’ propaganda – truly, a sign of the cruel insanity that befalls people when they turn their back on the law of God,” Gunnarson stated.
Ashby’s anti-Christian sentiments came to light in mid-April when a tweet surfaced in which the trustee wrote, “The most dangerous creature on the planet is the white Christian male. They’re a threat to anyone that is not them.”
CLC followed with an online petition breaking down Ashby’s remarks and demanding her immediate removal from the school board.
In the now-viral video posted to Twitter by CLC, Rebel News reporter David Menzies can be seen asking board chair Tracey Weiler about Ashby’s tweets.
Menzies read aloud Ashby’s remarks vilifying white Christian males and asked, “Does this board condemn or approve this statement?”
No member of WCDSB answered. Instead, a moderator tried to shut Menzies down by warning him that “such behavior would result in your removal from this proceeding should it continue.”
As Menzies pushed for a response, supported by cheers from the crowd, the trustees gathered their belongings and left the room.
After the release of the viral video, WCDSB banned CLC and Rebel News from their next meeting and served CLC’s Myles Vosylius a legal trespassing notice reiterating the terms of his ban.
