'We are reviewing the matter expeditiously,' Alexandra Adamo, a spokeswoman for Education Minister Stephen Lecce, seen here on Oct. 28, 2019, said in an e-mail.Fred Lum/the Globe and Mail
The Ontario government is reviewing the governance practices of the Durham District School Board after revelations that the top administrators created a culture of harassment in the workplace.
Education director Lisa Millar and former associate director David Visser contravened Ontario’s laws governing workplace harassment as well as the board’s policies, according to an independent investigation.
“We are reviewing the matter expeditiously,” Alexandra Adamo, a spokeswoman for Education Minister Stephen Lecce, said in an e-mail on Friday.
The Globe and Mail reported on Thursday that a summary of the investigator’s findings said Ms. Millar and Mr. Visser formed a “duopoly of power” and created a workplace environment that caused fear and dysfunction for members of the senior leadership team.
“We expect school boards to maintain a high degree of professionalism and focus on unlocking their students’ potential," Ms. Adamo said. “In instances where boards are not doing so, our government has demonstrated that we are willing to act swiftly to uphold these duties and standards.”
Peter Blake, a spokesman for the Durham board, said trustees asked the Education Ministry on Friday to appoint an external facilitator or adviser to review the board’s practices. “It is our hope that aiding us in facilitating these important discussions will help lay a new and stable foundation as we meet the challenges and embrace the opportunities in front of us,” he said in a statement.
The Globe has reported that elected trustees at the Durham board hired lawyer John McNair to investigate a formal complaint that five senior administrators lodged last May. The trustees received Mr. McNair’s nearly 200-page report in September, but have not publicly disclosed it.
Trustees have acknowledged to the complainants that the investigator’s findings corroborate their allegations, according to internal correspondence obtained by The Globe. However, current and former senior staffers have said in interviews that trustees have not addressed their governance concerns.
At a closed-door meeting in September, the 11 trustees narrowly voted in favour of having Ms. Millar remain in her job. She was appointed director of education in May, 2016, for a five-year term.
Mr. Visser left his job shortly after that meeting. In an internal memo to senior staff dated Oct. 22, the board said Mr. Visser was retiring as of Oct. 31.
Mr. Visser declined to comment when contacted by The Globe about the investigator’s findings. Ms. Millar has not responded to requests for comment.
The board announced in a news release on Jan. 28 that Ms. Millar is on medical leave with pneumonia. Norah Marsh, who joined the board as associate director in November, has been named acting director of education.
According to the summary, Mr. McNair found that Ms. Millar and Mr. Visser “made repeated abusive, derogatory remarks to senior staff about their current and former workplace colleagues.” He wrote that the two "adopted a vindictive dislike towards certain superintendents.”
Three of the complainants wrote the board of trustees again in December, saying their concerns had not been addressed and calling on the board to remove Ms. Millar.