Abbotsford school trustees Jared White and Mike Rauch have been censured by the Abbotsford board of education.
On Feb. 5, White praised American president Donald Trump's recent executive order to ban transgender athletes from women's sports.
White shared a video of Trump signing the executive order on his "Jared White for Abbotsford School Trustee" page and added comments stating, "No more biological males in women's/girls' sports. No more biological males in women鈥檚/girls' bathrooms and locker-rooms. No more teaching vulnerable children that they can be both genders or neither. Enough. Common sense is making a come back and it鈥檚 about time."
BREAKING: has censured trustee's Jared White and Mike Rauch for breaching the board's code of ethics.
鈥� Ben Lypka (@BenLypka)
White posted the attached image to his trustee Facebook page on Feb. 5. Rauch liked the post and commented on it.
More to come.
According to a press release from the board, that post breached policy six of the trustee code of ethics and undermined the school district鈥檚 efforts to create a safe and welcoming environment for all staff, students and members of the school community.
Rauch liked the post and commented on it, which also violated policy six.
Both trustees have been asked to apologize and reaffirm their support and commitment to equal educational opportunities for all students, including those with diverse gender identities.
In addition, both trustees have been removed from ancillary public-facing roles on committees, working groups, and at school and district events. They will continue to participate as trustees in formal meetings of the board and will continue to carry out their core governance roles. These restrictions will be reviewed at a future date.
The News asked White about his post last month and he stated that diverse opinions are important and that his views align with a number of local parents. At the time, he added that he hopes his fellow trustees decide not to discipline him.
"It is extremely important for diverse opinions to be able to be shared without fear of censorship or reprisals," he stated in an email. "My views are consistent with the views of a substantial amount of concerned citizens and parents in Abbotsford and around this province. Any attempt by the school district to muzzle or 'cancel' me would be extremely disappointing and profoundly undemocratic. I trust my fellow trustees will do the right thing and continue to allow freedom of expression in this district.鈥�
White was asked to provide examples of these specific issues occurring in Abbotsford, but he chose not to do so.
The Abbotsford Board of Education approved and adopted a set of policies in October 2013 that serve as a guideline to reflect the values they bring to specific issues as representatives of the community.
Rauch and White both earned their seats in the 2022 election, with Rauch placing fifth and garnering 8,943 votes. White finished sixth and collected 8,388.
