SURREY 鈥� A group called Parents United Canada says it is filing an 鈥渦rgent鈥� human rights complaint after it was told it could not rent the Bell Performing Arts Centre for a rally next month to inform parents about efforts to stop a curriculum program called SOGI 123.
The contentious program, according to , 鈥渆quips educators of all backgrounds and experiences with tools and resources for supporting marginalized LGBTQ students and for creating safer and more inclusive school environments for all students.鈥�
鈥淭here will be a human rights complaint filed today, it鈥檚 ready to go,鈥� Kari Simpson, president of a group called Culture Guard, told the Now-Leader Monday morning. 鈥淭here will also be a letter from our lawyers going to the school district saying do you want to go down this road.
鈥淲e also have enough inside information from what鈥檚 going on inside the school district to know this is a political situation where they are targeting our group.鈥�
Simpson said her group is asking the tribunal to 鈥渄eal with this immediately, on an urgent basis,鈥� based on .
鈥淭hey can鈥檛 deny a service to somebody based on political, religious reasons.鈥�
So what鈥檚 all the fuss about?
Simpson says teachers are being told to not to refer to boys as boys and girls as girls 鈥渂ecause they can be anything they want and everything in between.鈥�
She called it an abuse of the public education system, and a 鈥減olitical program, brainwashing students鈥� from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
鈥淭hey circumvented parental notification.鈥�
Simpson said her group was expecting an overflow crowd at the Bell Centre for the Nov. 22nd rally.
That was, until Friday.
鈥淭he Surrey school board has denied our rental of the Bell Centre, and they just informed us today (Friday), saying that it doesn鈥檛 fit with their policies,鈥� Simpson told the Now-Leader last week.
鈥淢y understanding is it was the superintendent himself that was responsible for conveying the message to the manager of the Bell Centre.
鈥淲e also have it in writing that this is the case but there鈥檚 no specifics as to exactly what policy we are contravening so my lawyers are putting together a letter right now. You cannot discriminate against a group just because you don鈥檛 agree with them, whether it be politically, or ideologically or anything else, and deny them a service. The BC Human Rights Code prohibits that kind of descriminatory practice.鈥�
Surrey School District spokesman Doug Strachan said Friday the district has a policy that it can deny use of a facility if there are 鈥渞easonable grounds to believe鈥� it could lead to a 鈥減rotest,鈥� adding there鈥檚 indication that that could happen.
Strachan said the district鈥檚 concern is about liability for potential damage.
The Now-Leader obtained a letter from Simpson to her organization, from Steven Goodman, manager of the Bell Performing Arts Centre, that reads: 鈥淭hank you for your interest in booking the Bell Performing Arts Centre for your meeting. As explained on the phone, the Executive Committee of the Surrey School District has determined that this event does not align with the policies of the Surrey School District. Your rental request has been denied on this basis.鈥�
Simpson said the organization is looking for a venue that can accommodate up to 15,000 people for a rally. She said her group is planning to file a request for an injunction 鈥減robably within the next two weeks鈥� aiming to stop SOGI 123.
鈥淚t鈥檚 political suicide to piss off the parents,鈥� Simpson said. 鈥淚 have never seen anything like this,鈥� she said, speaking about opposition to the school program.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 the straw that鈥檚 breaking the camel鈥檚 back.鈥�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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