Pride flag is ‘welcome’ at Ontario’s publicly funded schools, education minister says

“I think school boards, parents, educators, government — we’ve got to come together, we’ve got to depoliticize an issue that is actually about the mental health and safety of children,” he said. “I do hope that school boards will continue to celebrate Pride in a constructive, positive way.”

Lecce said raising the Pride flag is “a tradition that’s been done by all levels of government, all politicians of all stripes for many years. I think it’s something that’s done to send a signal of respect and inclusion, and I would welcome that in publicly funded schools.”

Last week, police were called to a meeting at the York Catholic District School Board after public delegations for and against various LGBTQ activities next month led to confrontation.

Domenic Scuglia, director of education for the York Catholic board, said in a statement Monday that it “has a long-standing flag policy which states that only Canadian flags are to be flown on school board property” but a new policy will soon be presented to trustees.

Scuglia said the board “supports 2SLGBTQIA+ students who sadly face bullying and harassment at schools across the country. The YCDSB believes that 2SLGBTQIA+ students are loved by God and are valued members of our school communities.”

In recent years, a handful of Catholic school boards, including Toronto and Halton, have faced criticism for refusing to fly Pride flags in June — decisions that were later reversed.

The recent controversy in the York Catholic board has spilled over into Toronto’s Catholic board, with protesters targeting the school where Paolo de Buono teaches.

De Buono, an advocate for LGBTQ inclusion in Catholic schools, was at the York Catholic board meeting on April 25 because he was supposed to make a deputation, although he says it was declined by the board. Parents opposed to the rainbow flag became so disruptive during the meeting that they were escorted out of the room. Some later yelled at him in the hallway, calling him “devil incarnate” and shouting, “Shame on you.”

Two days later, a small group of protesters showed up in Toronto outside St. Antoine Daniel Catholic School, where de Buono teaches Grade 7 and 8. The board said students remained indoors during recess and lunch to avoid protesters and that measures were in place to ensure minimal disruption. Police were also called and remained on site to monitor the situation.

“It’s very misguided. Clearly, their target is me,” de Buono told the Star on Monday. “To show up that way and have such anti-inclusive messages, like the rainbow has been perverted, is going to hurt students.”

The protesters, he added, have “made this leap” that, because he makes social media posts on the importance of inclusion, that’s all he talks about in class.

“I teach in a very balanced way,” he said, “but there is a history in Catholic education where this area of inclusion has been left out and it’s not where it should be today and so I make a point to teach inclusively and spread the message because it’s so important.”

Trustee Maria Rizzo, who represents Ward 5 (North York) where the school is located, said “it’s not fair that an employee’s outside work agenda has been brought into the workplace” when it interferes with students and staff “feeling safe in a space that is supposed to be safe for everyone.”

But Rizzo isn’t letting the protesters off the hook, adding “there’s got to be consequences for people who are hate-spewers … This is unacceptable. They say that they’re there for the kids, but they’re not.”

She implored protesters to “act like adults” and not target the school.

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy