A York Region trustee who has publicly apologized for using a racial slur in reference to a black parent is taking an indefinite medical leave due to a concussion she suffered last fall, her son told the Star.

Nancy Elgie, 82, who represents Georgina at the York Region District School Board, is “taking time off to heal” as per her doctor’s orders, said Stewart Elgie, a professor of environmental law at the University of Ottawa.

In an interview on Monday, Stewart said Elgie suffered a severe head injury last October when she fell on the edge of a cement patio and “cracked her head open.” The injury required “20 staples in her skull to close the wound,” he said. Since then, “she has had problems with short-term memory and mixing up words.”

“She has now seen a head injury specialist, who confirmed she suffered a concussion and is experiencing the usual symptoms, exacerbated by her age,” said Stewart. “On doctor’s orders, she is now taking time off to heal. Which is why she can’t publicly speak in her own defence,” he said, adding it’s unclear how long she will be off.

Elgie’s leave comes amid many calls from parents and politicians for her to step down. Stewart would not confirm if his mother has plans to do so. As an elected official, Elgie cannot be forced out.

“My mother didn’t and never has called anyone by a racist slur in her whole life,” he said. “She has worked for fairness and equality her whole life,” she said. “She is an 82-year-old woman, who had a concussion and misspoke.”

But until now, despite the head injury, Elgie has not taken time away from her trustee duties. She attended and participated in a board meeting last month, where trustees were drafting a response to the ministry of education regarding issues that have plagued the board over the past year.

Last month, Elgie publicly apologized for using the n-word, after a meeting at the board, to refer to a black parent.

In her apology, Elgie said when she made the comment in November, she was “still suffering from the after-effects of a head injury earlier in the fall” and struggled for words to identify parent Charline Grant, who had previously filed a human rights complaint about alleged discrimination facing her child. “The words came out horribly wrong.”

But calls for her resignation have been growing from both politicians and the public. Last week, Michael Coteau, Ontario’s Minister of Children and Youth Services, called the use of the word “disgusting” and said “any politician that uses that type of term should not be in their job.” A petition demanding she step down has surpassed 2,800 signatures, and a Twitter account called “Nancy Elgie Check” keeps daily tabs to see if Elgie is “still in office.” Monday was day 77.

Loralea Carruthers, the new trustee chair for the board, confirmed that Elgie “has been off for medical reasons.” She said “there is no formal policy and there’s no provision in the Education Act for trustees to take a medical leave of absence, but all long-term absences must be authorized.”

According to the board’s policy, trustees are not allowed to miss more than three regularly scheduled board meetings, after which their seat is declared vacant. But it’s unclear how that policy applies in the case of a medical leave.

The board launched an investigation into Elgie in Decmber, after staff filed a complaint with the director after they overheard the slur. Stewart says there was one person “who heard Nancy’s statement and apology, and saw the look on her face once she realized what she’d said — fully accepted that she had misspoken.” He said others who “overheard the remark” did not get to hear the “apology and explanation.”

Stewart says his mother “accepted the investigator’s finding that what she said was a violation of policy, even though it was accidental,” he said.

“She understands why it’s hurtful to people. She understands why people are upset. But people need to judge it based on the facts,” he said. “It doesn’t change that it’s hurtful. It’s a hurtful word and I understand people’s anger. But we shouldn’t let the anger blind us to the facts of what happened,” he said. “Everyone who was there and heard it, accept that it was said by accident.”

Stewart said his mother plans to donate any earnings from her leave to the Jericho Youth Services of Georgina, a local charity.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Incidents of racism and Islamophobia — and how the board responds to them — prompted Education Minister Mitzie Hunter to send in two reviewers to speak to staff, parents and students about what’s going on. A report is expected in April.

As the board grapples with controversy around Elgie, Patrick Case, one of the two investigators tasked with taking in complaints around the board sent out a tweet this weekend, talking about the high volume of people coming forward: “We have so many deputants that we may never finish. Please submit new comments confidentially to YRDSBreviewers@ontario.ca .”