CHATHAM, Ontario, June 14, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A trustee of the Lambton Kent District School Board has resigned in protest over the Ontario government’s controversial homosexual ‘rights’ Bill 13 that forces homosexual activist clubs on the province’s schools.
David Goldsmith, who has served as a trustee for over nine years, announced his resignation at the June 12 board meeting in Chatham, explaining that in good conscience he could not continue in a position that would compromise his moral and spiritual beliefs.
“Over the past several months I have been conflicted about my role as trustee,” Mr. Goldsmith told the Board of Trustees according to a QMI Agency report.
“The premier of this province is leading our society in a direction which is at odds with my own moral compass, and which is inconsistent with my spiritual beliefs.
“While I have never attempted to impose my beliefs or morals on other people, I must be true to my own conscience, and can no longer be part of the educational process which I feel promotes that with which I cannot agree,” he stated.
Mr. Goldsmith told QMI he believes Premier McGuinty is “fishing for votes” in the homosexual community by pushing the Liberal anti-bullying legislation.
Rick Nicholls, Conservative MPP for Chatham-Kent-Essex, told LifeSiteNews that Mr. Goldsmith’s resignation, though “unfortunate” considering his experience and long service to the school board, is not surprising.
“I think Mr. Goldsmith’s resignation from his trustee position is extremely unfortunate, but Mr. Goldsmith has every right to act based on his conscience,” Nicholls said, adding, “In a way, it’s not surprising. I’ve received dozens of phone calls and emails from concerned parents and folks within the education system that believe Bill 13 was the wrong way to approach the issue of bullying, for a variety of reasons. Most crucially, it did not tackle the root causes of bullying.”
Nicholls pointed out that amendments to Bill 13 to protect religious freedom, and their own anti-bullying Bill 14 put forward by the Conservative opposition, which treated all bullying on an equal basis, was rejected by the McGuinty government.
“The Ontario PC Caucus brought forward a number of good solutions that addressed the root causes of bullying, all of which were rejected by the Liberal government. I believe in the democratic process, I believe in open discussion from all sides, and I haven’t seen that from this government,” Nicholls told LifeSiteNews.
“Our school board officials are here to listen to students, educators, and parents. We need good people on our school boards, and it’s a troubling situation when they feel that their voices are not being heard by this government.”
Mr. Nicholls suggested that a groundswell of protest against Bill 13 by school trustees may result in more trustees following Mr. Goldsmith’s lead and resigning.
“I can guarantee you there are probably many more school board trustees who are contemplating the very same thing,” Nicholls said.
Jack Fonseca of Campaign Life Catholics told LifeSiteNews that his organization applauds Mr. Goldsmith’s public statement of opposition to the Liberal government’s homosexual agenda, but noted his concern over the possibility of school boards being left in the hands of radical homosexualists if “all principled trustees suddenly resign.”
“This is further evidence to support our belief that Dalton McGuinty is conducting a war against traditionally-principled families and people of faith. When a duly-elected trustee resigns in protest over the Premier’s gay agenda, you know there’s a problem,” Fonseca observed.
“We applaud Trustee Goldsmith for publicly stating his opposition to McGuinty’s gay agenda, and shining a spotlight on the frontal assault against people of faith that is Bill 13,” Fonseca stated. “We hope his bravery will embolden Catholic school trustees and the Catholic bishops of Ontario to go further and actually reject Bill 13 by invoking Section 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867.”
“That constitutional privilege empowers the bishops and/or trustees to reject any government legislation which adversely affects faith and morals in Catholic schools,” Fonseca explained.
“My only fear about Goldsmith’s resignation is that if all principled trustees suddenly resign, they could make the situation worse by leaving the board in the hands of trustees who support McGuinty’s radical agenda.”
A request for comment on Mr. Goldsmith’s resignation from Carmen McGregor, chair of the board of trustees of the Lambton Kent District School Board, was not answered.
Contact information:
Lambton Kent District School Board
Carmen McGregor, Chair of the Board of Trustees
P.O. Box 1000, 476 McNaughton Avenue East,
Chatham, Ontario N7M 5L7
Phone: 519-354-3770
Fax: 519-354-0662
Email: [email protected]
Rick Nicholls, MPP (Chatham-Kent-Essex)
Suite 100, 111 Heritage Road
Chatham, Ontario N7M 5W7
Phone: 519-351-0510
Fax: 519-351-7714
Email: [email protected]