Two Vancouver School Board trustees were expelled from the Non-Partisan Association caucus Friday following their stance on a policy revision regarding transgendered students.
In a statement posted Friday afternoon, the NPA caucus said the views of Sophia Woo and Ken Denike do not align with the rest of the party.
“The decision to expel Denike and Woo was necessary given that the two have chosen to follow their own course in various matters without consulting with the other members of Caucus,” the statement read. “The Caucus has concluded that Denike and Woo do not share the same level of sensitivity and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Woo and Denike called a news conference Friday proposing a delay to a policy amendment which focuses on where students should change and which washrooms they should use.
The trustees cited unnamed realtors who allegedly claimed plans to better accommodate transgender students would cause families of international students to leave Vancouver. International students pay thousands of dollars per year in tuition and a media release from Ken Denike sent Friday morning said declining enrolment is concerning as it would “increase budget deficits that are already problematic”.
“Realtors express concern that a revised policy on sexual orientation and gender identities could negatively impact enrolment of international students and West side students in Vancouver’s public schools,” the release read.
“We are all concerned about [the] education system. We don’t want to lose any more students,” Woo said at the press conference.
"International student enrolment is a very competitive thing and one of the issues you don't want to have is the kind of controversy in the district," Denike said.
Patti Bacchus, chair of the Vancouver School Board said the fact that real estate issues have been drawn into the conversation is troubling.
“I’m absolutely shocked that anyone elected to be a school trustee would be putting the needs of property values, putting the needs of our overpriced property market ahead of making students safe at school," Bacchus said.
Bacchus said misinformation from Denike and Woo distorted the discussion.
"A lot of people calling me saying 'I have the right to decide my child's gender, whether my child is homosexual.' That's not what this is about,” Bacchus said. “We're not deciding for anyone."
NPA city councillor and caucus chair Elizabeth Ball said the school board handled the issue well.
"No government is required to endlessly consult and I think that's something very very important to understand,” Ball said. “The governments listen, they consult and then they make their decisions."
The Vancouver School Board will vote on the policy amendment on Monday. It is expected to pass since all trustees except Woo and Denike supported the policy.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Penny Daflos
