Durham District School Board - Review of a meeting on June 5, 2023
November 29, 2023 - The Ombudsman received a complaint raising concerns that the Durham District School Board required members of the public to provide their contact information and show identification in order to physically attend meetings of the Board of Trustees. The complaint also raised concerns that for a period of time, members of the public were prohibited from attending Board meetings in person. Finally, the complainant complained that they were denied physical entry to the Standing Committee’s June 5, 2023 meeting.
The School Board told our Office that it had changed its security protocols due to increasingly concerning behaviours, including swearing, derogatory comments, and death threats directed as its staff and Board trustees beginning around early 2023. The Ombudsman determined that the School Board’s security measures for in-person attendance at meetings were reasonable in the circumstances, given the safety concerns of the School Board. In addition, the Ombudsman found that following a review of its safety protocols and the implementation of additional security measures, the Board resumed in-person attendance at its meetings. Finally, the Ombudsman’s review determined that the School Board’s website stated that members of the public were able to watch the June 5, 2023 meeting live on YouTube or attend it in person, while in reality, the public could actually only attend the meeting virtually. The Ombudsman encouraged the School Board to state in its by-laws how it provides public notice of meetings and to ensure that all meeting notices include accurate and up-to-date information.
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