School division bans protesters after meeting disrupted

Francine Champagne, who represents Ward 1 in the Louis Riel School Division, was suspended during a board meeting on June 6, 2023. (Source: Louis Riel School Division)

The Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) has banned a group of people from all future school board meetings following a major board meeting disruption in June.

"The board and senior leadership team decided on an action relative to events at the last board meeting of the year," said LRSD superintendent Christian Michaluk.

On June 20, a group of people showed up at the division's offices in support of Francine Champagne, an LRSD trustee who had been suspended two weeks earlier for making transphobic comments on social media that were deemed disrespectful to the LGBTQ2S+ community.

The group demanded to be let in to voice their opinions about Champagne's suspension, disrupting the meeting and prompting board members to call police.

"The police were called on that evening because it was a struggle to have the meeting come to an end and to have people peacefully leave the premises and to bring an end to the disruption," said Michaluk.

He said the board instituted the ban to avoid having a disruption like that again, especially given the hostile nature of the crowd.

"The reason for the action we've taken…is a result of the disruption and disturbing and hateful remarks that were being made," Michaluk said.

LRSD trustee Ryan Palmquist previously told CTV News he had multiple slurs and insults screamed at him during the incident, including those calling him a pedophile and a groomer, and people asking what his wife thought about his recent decision to come out publicly as bisexual.

The LRSD has spent the last few months identifying 35 of the people who were in the group and sending letters informing them of the ban.

"What was written was a 'no trespass' letter to individuals," said Michaluk. "So if these individuals want to be welcomed into the LRSD in the future, they will have to make arrangements for that to the secretary treasurer's office."

Michaluk said the board is also updating its registration process for their meetings so disruptions like this don't happen again.

"Really, it's about refining processes that were already in place," he said. "Just refining our readiness for the unanticipated at our meetings."

CTV News has reached out to organizers of the group for an interview.