The Toronto District School Board has apologized to Trustee Tiffany Ford for saying publicly she broke its code of conduct before the board’s integrity commissioner could make an official decision on the matter.

“I incorrectly instructed staff to confirm that your actions were in violation of the TDSB Member Code of Conduct,” wrote TDSB director of education John Malloy in a letter to Ford dated Friday.

The board told the Star Monday that its apology was not a statement on whether or not Ford did, indeed, violate the code of conduct. Rather, it is an acknowledgement that no one other than TDSB integrity commissioner Suzanne Craig can decide that the code was broken.

Ford sent out a news release on Sept. 30, promoting her bottled water business, Smarty Pants Water, with the headline, “Toronto school board trustee launches innovative product to increase children’s water consumption.”

The TDSB code of conduct states that “no member of the Board shall use the influence of his or her office for any purpose other than for the exercise of his or her official duties.”

On Oct. 1, the TDSB told the Star that board staff had told Ford she was in violation of the code.

Ford, trustee for Ward 4 (York West), later confirmed this to the Star.

But, according to Malloy’s apology, “it is not (TDSB) staff’s role to determine or declare violations of the Code of Conduct . . . . Only the TDSB’s Integrity Commissioner can make such determinations.”

Malloy goes on to say that the integrity commissioner can only determine a violation has taken place if a formal complaint has been made by a member of the public or the board, and she has completed an investigation.

Ford responded to Malloy with a letter offering her “unconditional acceptance” of his apology.

In an interview with the Star, Ford said she welcomed the apology and that she had asked the integrity commissioner to clarify what materials she can, and cannot, put her title on.