Beleagered Chair resigns

The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) has lost their Chair, Suanne Stein Day. On a medical leave of absence since April, she has indicated that her condition has not improved enough to return to work. The resignation also comes after years of rumors, ethical scandals and accusations that have plagued her and the Board.

The first inklings of trouble came when a complaint about Stein Day was filed in December of 2015. Sixteen staff members accused her of making inappropriate remarks, including criminal allegations and accusations against other members of the Board.

The LBPSB ethics commissioner determined that Stein Day had violated the code of ethics, but she has refused to admit she did anything wrong. She sites ill health for as the cause of her resignation.

Stein Day has been involved with the school board for almost 20 years, and has chaired it since 2011. She has no regrets and believes that her situation opened up an investigation of the international department by the Board that did discover corruption.

It has said little since the resignation but did release a statement. “On behalf of the Council of Commissioners I would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Suanne for her many years of dedicated service to the Lester B. Pearson School Board,” the board’s new chair Noel Burke said.

Burke was voted Chair at an emergency school board meeting on November 14.