I was not surprised to see the two letters to the editor criticizing me in The Chilliwack Progress, Nov. 19, 2020.
As a conservative trustee, I have come to expect media criticism. So, let me respond to the well-meaning (but politically misinformed) assertions expressed in these two letters.
READ MORE: LETTER: Chilliwack school trustees are elected to serve everyone not just supporters
READ MORE: LETTER: Trustee Darrell Furgason picks and chooses when to follow Code of Ethics
The reality of a political appointment is that views of issues will vary, and that in fact is what a democracy is all about. Let us not forget that school trustees were elected, which means voters approved the views and positions of the candidates put forward in their campaigns. Those views have varied greatly in the case of this current batch of elected trustees. It is no secret that the Chilliwack School Board is a 4-3 split ideologically. In any election, be it municipal, provincial or federal, there will always be a winning majority, whose views will dominate and be expressed in policies and actions. That is normal politics.
In our local context, this means that a large part of the Chilliwack community has elected three trustees who endorse a conservative approach in education. We have opposed a) the implementation of resources like SOGI123, b) climate “action” protests by students, c) rainbow crosswalks painted on school district property, d) removing dress codes for students, e) the location of The Portal, despite safety concerns expressed by parents and students. The four majority trustees have all heartily embraced them.
The suggestion in these two letters to the editor that I, and the other two conservative trustees (we are the minority) are somehow not “serving the whole community” is false. The opposite is true. We are upholding the Code of Ethics by standing our ground for the whole Chilliwack community and all students, not just select minority or vocal activist groups.
Darrell Furgason, Chilliwack School Board trustee
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