New Democrat Carla Beck claims Premier Scott Moe overstepped his authority at a meeting of the Sask. Rivers Public School Division board last year. (Screen grab/Sask Legislature)

By Glenn Hicks

School Board Meeting Controversy

NDP claims Premier Moe attempted to intimidate Sask. Rivers trustees

Mar 5, 2020 | 6:19 PM

The opposition New Democrats are claiming Premier Scott Moe overstepped his authority, and suggest his request for and presence at a meeting of the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division (SRPSD) board early last summer was an attempt to coerce trustees. Moe says he was bringing forward the concerns of his local Rosthern-Shellbrook constituents, and it was not out of the ordinary.

Claims of intimidation

Education critic for the NDP Carla Beck, claims the presence of Moe, along with local SaskParty MLAs Joe Hargrave, Nadine Wilson and Delbert Kirsch at the June 3 meeting was an attempt to intimidate the board into changing their stance on a school division policy surrounding the moving on of teachers once they have worked in a location for a certain length of time. In this instance four Shellbrook teachers were being moved, which caused a backlash in the local community.

“I think it’s totally inappropriate that a sitting premier would go into a school board meeting, and request a meeting with the school board with the express intent of overturning a decision that board was tasked with making,” Beck told reporters after Question Period in the legislature Thursday.

The NDP obtained heavily redacted documents through a Freedom Of Information Request that they suggest shows people in the board meeting felt stressed by Moe’s presence. Asked why the board didn’t go public with any concerns about being pressured, Beck suggested trustees feel it isn’t in their broader interest to rock the boat.

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“Unfortunately, and perhaps not surprisingly, school boards are reluctant to come forward with their concerns about intimidation…for the reason that it is the provincial government …the premier, that holds all of the purse strings,” she said.

Moe unapologetic

Moe was unapologetic in his response to the NDP’s accusations.

“I’ll make no apologies for representing the constituents of Rosthern-Shellbrook, the constituents in all of those communities,” he told reporters. “I attend, when I can, the four different school divisions’ meetings as an MLA and will continue to into the future. I make absolutely no apologies for asking questions of our school divisions.”

Moe was asked by a reporter if, while at the SRPSD meeting, he mentioned to trustees there would be potential consequences.

“Absolutely not,” he responded.

Moe said he was bringing up the public’s concerns with respect to the teacher transfer policy at Sask. Rivers, and noted he had attended many school division meetings over the years.

Director of education’s response

paNOW asked Director of Education for the SRPSD, Robert Bratvold – who was at the June 3 meeting – what the atmosphere was like and if Moe’s behavior could be deemed intimidating.

“I can’t comment specifically on the meeting itself, but as a general rule, when there are disagreements or different views about what should or shouldn’t be done, I see that as an opportunity for further conversation,” he said. “I don’t see that as intimidation, but others might.”

paNOW reached out to SRPSD chair Barry Hollick for comment but he did not respond.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow