Apology sanction struck for Alberta school trustee who compared Pride to Nazism

Alberta’s highest court has overturned the requirement for Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools trustee Monique LaGrange to publicly apologize for a social media post that compared children waving Pride flags to Nazi Germany. LaGrange resigned from the board in July 2023 following a board decision to disqualify her over the post. The board also demanded an apology, censured her from certain job responsibilities, and ordered her to complete sensitivity training.

Despite multiple unsuccessful attempts to challenge the board’s decisions in court, LaGrange's legal team sought a higher court ruling. A panel of three Court of Appeal judges recently struck down the court's ruling that LaGrange should issue an apology, arguing that it constitutes compelled speech and sets an unattainable standard given her belief that she was not in the wrong.

The judges rejected other aspects of LaGrange's appeal, including her claims that the board's actions were unfair or unreasonable. Neither the school division nor the law firm representing LaGrange commented on the decision at press time.