A community organizer is still waiting for answers from School District 57 after publicly asking the school board last week why he's been banned from planning diversity events in schools.
Shawn Peters has presented in Prince George schools for the past 14 years and planned diversity weeks in five schools in the last two years.
But right before an April event he received a letter from superintendent Brian Pepper saying he could no longer participate in district events. Last week after a school board meeting, Pepper said he could provide no comment on the issue.
That notice came after Peters learned from a district principal that a school had cancelled its diversity event two weeks before and sent an email back criticizing the move and asking why.
In Pepper's April 2015 letter to Peters, he wrote, "(I)t is clear from your email that you are not willing to meet the requirements established within the parameters of the School Act, School Act Regulations and other legislation which guides our work in schools. That means you will not be able to partner with our district from this point forward."
Peters said that's not the case and he complied with everything that was asked of him this year.
"Tell me what I need to do and I'll do it," said Peters, who volunteers to put together diversity events but works at AiMHi.
"To me it's unfair to expect someone who doesn't work in the school district to know what the requirements are."
Diversity week covers issues around race, ableism, bullying, LGBTQ, gender and more. Peters acts as the go-between and asks various societies to participate and have information available at booths during the lunch hour.
For the first time, Peters said he was asked to have all materials approved by the district.
"I submitted everything to them," said Peters.
He said five pamphlets were refused last year, all pertaining to sexual education, like how to put condoms on.
"This is where I'm getting frustrated, in 14 years I've never had to have my materials approved," said Peters, adding he thinks that requirement has been unfairly applied to his event when other organizations don't go through the same vetting process.
"If that's the rule, then let's apply it to everyone."
Pepper told Peters that it's usual for the district to review materials from community members and understands it may seem "unnecessarily bureaucratic."
"However, we shoulder all responsibility for children during the school day and the process is absolutely necessary to protect those we serve," Pepper said in the letter.
Pepper also took issue with Peters' tone in some correspondence.
"My understanding is that your approach has been somewhat confrontational," said Pepper, before reminding Peters "our staff are in place to serve students, not community presenters."
Peters acknowledged he was angry when he learned Duchess Park secondary school would no longer participate.
"A big event is cancelled two weeks before. I put in a lot of time, I had to return sponsor money, stuff like that, so yes I was upset and mad because I wanted to know why two weeks before they decided to cancel the event," said Peters, noting a smaller scale event run out of the school still went forward.
The D.P. Todd event only continued because teachers at the school insisted, he said.
The problem, he thinks, is "a clashing of personalities" between him and the district contact, but he'd still like to hold the event in the future.
Peters said he has yet to hear from the board about a meeting after chairperson Tony Cable promised to contact him last week.
Cable said Monday that Peters was on his to-do list and hoped they could meet this week or next but couldn't comment on the
matter.
"Whenever any speakers come into schools, we have to vet them and make sure that they do an appropriate job and the material is appropriate and so on."
Though Peters has presented in Prince George schools before, the vetting process still needs to happen, Cable said.
"We do it on an annual basis and especially when you're dealing with more controversial subjects, you just have to be very careful. Shawn is a very hard worker and he's done a really good job for us so we definitely need to meet so we can see where we go in the future."
