Apology sanction struck for Red Deer school trustee who compared Pride to Nazism

Alberta's highest court has overturned the decision made by a Catholic school division in Red Deer, which required a trustee to publicly apologize for a controversial social media post. The incident occurred in the summer of 2023 and resulted in Monique LaGrange resigning from the board of Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools. Following the board's decision, LaGrange was subjected to an apology, dismissal from certain job responsibilities, and required to participate in sensitivity training.

She has unsuccessfully attempted to challenge the board's decisions through legal means. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal ruled in LaGrange's favor on Wednesday, stating that the requirement for her to apologize amounted to compulsory speech and imposed an unreasonable standard, as she believed she had not done anything wrong.

The court dismissed other aspects of LaGrange's appeal, including her claims that the board's actions were unfair or unreasonable. Both the school division and the law firm representing LaGrange have not yet commented on the ruling.