Elgie admitted from the beginning that she had used the n-word, but said she “had misspoken.”

Her son, Stewart Elgie, told the Star his mother “accepted the investigator’s finding that what she said was a violation of policy, even though it was accidental.” He said his mother’s behaviour was out of character and that she had earlier bumped her head.

Charline Grant, who filed a human rights complaint with the board after learning the slur has been directed at her, said it was “upsetting” to hear how much the board spent on its investigation.

“It speaks to their level of incompetence that they would take public funds, money that is meant for our children’s education, and spend it on an investigation that they already knew the answer to,” said Grant. “This was something overheard and by staff … and yet, they still did an investigation. It’s so upsetting.”

She said the board spent more on Elgie, than what she eventually settled for with them. She had originally asked for $20,000, but said she is unable to say how much she eventually got, due to a confidentiality agreement.

“They are running the board like a corporation, and not like a school board where kids come first,” said Grant. “And then they want us to pay for school supplies. Wow.”

York parent Todd Silverman, who has taken the board to task for their misuse of funds around international travel, says he is “disgusted” at how much money was spent on “an investigation that ultimately resulted in the trustee admitting her misconduct. The board should have held the trustee accountable for the fees associated with this investigation,” he said.

The board’s policy does not require reimbursement from staff or trustees following an investigation, a spokesman for the board told the Star.

Board chair Loralea Carruthers said the board was “required to conduct a thorough and independent investigation,” but would unlikely take that route today.

“We now have in place our integrity commissioner who will provide this service with a quicker turnaround in a more cost-effective manner,” she said. “We continue to look to improve upon practices of the past to ensure public confidence in our board and also prudent use of taxpayer dollars.”

After a series of Star stories shed light on dysfunction at the York board, the ministry launched an investigation last January, which resulted in a scathing report and led to the ouster of the director of education. The board is hoping to hire a new director by the end of this month.



Torstar News Service