New Brunswick’s education minister is moving ahead to dissolve the Anglophone East District Education Council (DEC).
Bill Hogan received the green light from cabinet to make an application to the Court of King’s Bench, according to an order-in-council dated May 9.
That was exactly one week after the minister announced he would seek to have the elected council disbanded.
It is the latest development in an ongoing dispute between the minister and the council over the province’s gender identity policy in schools.
The Moncton-area DEC is taking the province to court over controversial changes made to Policy 713, arguing they are discriminatory and endanger students.
Under the updated policy, schools now require parental consent if a student under 16 wants to informally use a different name or pronoun.
But Hogan claims the council is using funds “in an irresponsible manner” by challenging the changes in court.
“For example, they are diverting almost $300,000 from classrooms to Ontario-based lawyers to file a motion to fight the rights of parents to be informed about their kids under 16,” the minister said in a May 2 statement.
“Given the response received from the DEC, they have left me no options but to commence the process for dissolution of the Anglophone East DEC.”
In a statement released Thursday, the Anglophone East DEC said it has not yet received any notice of a court application.
“If and when the minister chooses to act on the May 9, 2024 authorization, the DEC is prepared to defend its integrity through all available channels,” said the statement.
