Mom wants principal fired for reprimanding son over Pride flag

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This article was published 02/06/2022 (840 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Calvin Christian School has requested an elementary student put away his Pride flag and stop promoting the LGBTTQ+ community to younger students, according to his mother.

Jennaya Isaac said she is livid after learning educators singled out her son, a Grade 5 student at the private academy in Winnipeg, for celebrating his gay identity on school grounds in recent days.

Isaac started the process of filing a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission on Friday.

“We shouldn’t have to hide who we are just because it goes against the norm of the community that we’re in,” said Isaac, a mother of four — three of whom are enrolled in either the independent school’s elementary or high school program. One is a recent graduate.

Isaac shares custody with her children’s father, who is keen on them getting an education at Calvin Christian, she said, adding both she and her youngest son, Kaiden, had reservations about the idea after the 12-year-old came out.

“I told him: ‘The world is changing, people are evolving,’” said the mother, who identifies as bisexual and is not religious.

The events that have transpired over the last week have validated their concerns and prompted Isaac to call for the elementary school’s principal to be dismissed. The school is partially funded by taxpayers.

On May 27, her fifth grader took a rainbow flag — a recent birthday present from his younger sister — to school. He took it out of his bag during recess to wave it around the playground, Isaac said.

She said a teacher tipped off administration about the flag and following the break, principal John Sawatzky told Kaiden it was not appropriate to teach younger children about the LGBTTQ+ community.

“They accused him of trying to make a statement,” she said, noting her son put the flag away and told her about what happened in the evening.

“When I drop my kids off at the school in the morning, I expect the adults at the school to keep my kids safe. Not only did the adults fail to keep my kid safe (but) it was the principal who made my kid feel unsafe.”

Isaac has contacted school leaders about her concerns via email and phone call. She said she has been told the board asked the principal to apologize directly to her son, but that has yet to happen more than a week after the incident.

Kaiden continues to be disrespected, she said. On Thursday, he took the flag to school again, was threatened by peers, and his class had to spend recess indoors to discuss the flag matter, according to Isaac. She kept her son home Friday because he doesn’t feel well.

Sawatzky did not respond to an interview request.

In an email to Isaac earlier this week, the principal said he would like to know if Kaiden is concerned about anything at school related to the flag situation or another issue. “If he needs more of a listening ear I’d be open to that,” Sawatzky wrote.

When reached for comment, the chairman of the private school’s board said leaders are working on a “peaceful resolution.”

“We want everyone to feel loved and respected. That’s what we are striving towards. We’re not always going to get that right, but we’re looking to find ways to get that right all the time,” said Ron Pluchinski.

Pluchinski acknowledged LGBTTQ+ rights are a “very emotional issue” in the community. He said the school has been collaborating with consultants from the Prairie Centre for Christian Education to create new inclusion guidelines.

Calvin Christian is receptive to feedback from community members, including Isaac’s recommendation that all employees should complete a human rights seminar, the board chairman said.

It remains unclear where Kaiden will attend Grade 6, but Isaac said her son wants to switch to public school.

Public schools across the province often display rainbow flags on poles and in classrooms both amid Pride month and throughout the school year so students see a visual cue that welcomes them into the space, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Manitoba Teachers’ Society provides professional development on LGBTTQ+ education and runs a support network for educators to improve their understanding on creating inclusive classrooms.

Union leader James Bedford said MTS wants all Grade 12 graduates to be empathetic and supportive allies to all of their peers.

“We’ve always said that Manitoba students who graduate high school need to be prepared for the world they’re about to live in, the world they’re going to work in. I think part of that is having a good understanding of the issues that are out there,” Bedford said.

The union offers free age-appropriate lesson plans on topics, including identity and the history of Pride, for educators to incorporate into subjects ranging from social studies to English language arts.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie