Larry Killens, a trustee with the Rainbow District School Board representing the Manitoulin Island area, has been barred all Rainbow board meetings until Nov. 30, when his current term is up.
His fellow trustees voted in favour of the five-month-long ban at the board's July 3 meeting because of what the board says is a breach of the code of conduct trustees must follow.
The motions passed by the board are as follows:
“That Trustee Larry Killens be censured for inappropriate interactions with outside individuals to encourage and/or facilitate litigations against the Board, undermining decisions of the Board, sharing confidential information and making false and disparaging comments about staff and members of the Board.
“That considering that this is Trustee Killens’ sixth sanction for violating the Code Of Conduct, that, employing progressive discipline, he be sanctioned and barred from attendance at all meetings of the Board effective immediately until November 30, 2018.”
When contacted by Sudbury.com, Killens said he wishes to assure people the “allegations are unproven, untrue and hold no substance.”
He said he was elected to represent the Manitoulin Island area specifically, and also represents all other families whose children attend schools run by the Rainbow board.
“I was elected to serve them, advocate for them, bring their current concerns to the table without question,” Killens said. “I wasn't elected to be a yes man for the Rainbow District School Board.”
The retired police officer said he's “unaware of any personal bad behaviour on my part,” adding he's even won the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service.
The trustee said he'll release more information about the specific code of conduct allegations against him at a later date when he gets them in writing, which he said he's supposed to receive under the Education Act.
He said some of the allegations date back as far as five or six years ago, and provided an example.
During his last term, Killens and former Rainbow board trustee Robert Kirwan, now a Greater Sudbury city councillor, tabled a motion to reverse a ban on two parents who had been barred from certain board property in 2012.
Those parents are Anita and Dylan Gibson, who still cannot enter certain board property to this day.
Killens said he's accused of breaching confidentiality for using their names, even though they'd already shared their story in the media.
“It was in the newspaper for months,” he said. “How do I breach the code of confidence there?”
Killens is known for going against the grain, voting against changes the board is trying to make, including school closures approved by the Rainbow board last year.
Sudbury.com has reported on several occasions on sanctions previously taken by the board against Killens.
For example, Killens was removed from certain in-camera discussions in April 2015, and remained excluded for 13 months, a situation that led him to complain to the Ontario Ombudsman.
Killens' complaint resulted in the Ombudsman's Office reminding the board “to be vigilant in adhering to its obligations” under the Education Act “and its own policies and procedures.”
Last year, the Rainbow board considered an ultimately-rejected policy change that would have given the board powers to exclude certain members from in-camera meetings if “a breach of confidentiality by a trustee is likely to occur” based on “past actions.”
Kilens said at the time he felt the proposed policy change was aimed at him.
Sudbury.com requested an interview with Rainbow board chair Doreen Dewar about the situation. She instead released a written statement.
“Rainbow District School Board is governed by the Education Act and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” the statement reads.
“As elected officials, we have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that we comply with this legislation.
“As per the Education Act, we have adopted Board Policy No. GOV-05 – the Code of Conduct for Board members.
“This governance policy guides the actions of Board members/trustees of Rainbow District School Board as they carry out their duties as described in the Education Act, regulations, and Board policy.
“This policy aligns the conduct of Board members with the guiding principles in the Rainbow District School Board Code of Conduct. Board members occupy positions of public trust and responsibility.
“They are expected to maintain the integrity of the Board and their positions as trustees by acting in a professional and impartial manner. It is imperative that trustees act, and be seen to act, in the best interests of the young people they serve.
“GOV-05 is available on the Board website.”
