Controversial Catholic Trustee Mike Del Grande is taking a medical leave, emailing his constituents notifying them, asking them to pray for him as he deals with a range of issues – including the aftermath of complaints about a meeting incident where he posted a link to LGBTQ rights to a wide variety of offensive and even criminal sexual behaviors.
In his correspondence, Del Grande noted a number of concerns about the Toronto Catholic District Schools Board and also that at a November 2019 meeting he was accused of breaching the Code of Conduct: “I discussed the inclusion of terminology that I did felt to be contradicting our Catholic faith. The secular media accused me of comparing Philias to LGBTQ people. I haven’t made such comparisons. I have defended the moral teachings of our faith. “
An independent report found that he was violating the Code of Conduct, but there weren’t enough votes to convict him at a meeting last August. However, the trustees re-examined the issue last November and instructed Del Grande to publicly apologize and attend training on justice issues.
Del Grande then lost the attempt to break the discipline, saying at the time he was “in disbelief” at the rejection.
“The process of making this Code of Conduct complaint has proven to be a severe punishment and has resulted in another complaint revoking my teaching license,” Del Grande said in his letter to voters. “I am struggling to pay legal fees to defend myself. I admit it has taken a toll on my health too. I announce that I am taking medical leave. “
An online fundraiser has raised more than $ 45,000 in donations to “stand with Mike” and legally take over “Canada’s power-hungry LGBT lobby along with dissenting forces” on the board.
Del Grande did not specify how long he will be removed from his fiduciary duties, but said a constituency assistant will be available to help families.
“I will do my best to monitor your comments and requests as well,” he wrote. “I ask you also to do your best by praying for me.”
In an email response to the star asking for an additional comment on his vacation, Del Grande replied, “Why is a medical vacation of interest? Do I have to discuss and you report about it? Do I have no privacy and the laws do not allow me to be protected from disclosure? Allow me the decency to rest and get better in peace. “
The independent report to the board found that Del Grande said back in November 2019 that the terms gender identity, gender expression, marital status and marital status “contradict Catholic moral values and that Catholic school authorities have a duty to defend Catholic doctrine. ‘”
Del Grande said he had “used exaggeration to talk about the outrageous” – the board had discussed adding the gender identity and phrase to its code of conduct to align it with human rights law – the report said, including the terms Pedophilia, anthropophagolagnia (“rape and cannibalization of another person”); and anthropophagy (“sexual satisfaction through ingestion of human flesh”).
“Mr. Del Grande said he did not say anything derogatory about gay people or transgender people and that he did not” yell, yell or yell “. Accordingly, he did not consider what he said to be disrespectful,” the report said.
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The board and Del Grande had come under significant criticism, including from MPP and former Prime Minister and Education Minister Kathleen Wynne and current Education Minister Stephen Lecce.
“I remain concerned about the language this person is using,” Lecce said in a statement to the star last year, calling on the board to “take responsibility for this trustee’s offensive and irresponsible actions.”
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