Hamilton school council lifts recording ban after months of free speech battles

A Hamilton, Ontario, high school has backed down on its public meetings recording ban after months of conflict over parent rights, governance, and the appropriateness of land acknowledgements.

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A Hamilton, Ontario, high school has backed down on its public meetings recording ban after months of conflict over parent rights, governance, and the appropriateness of land acknowledgements.

At the Ancaster High School Council on Wednesday night, the council chair formally announced the reversal. The decision follows a legal warning sent by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

In its response, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board confirmed it was not the body imposing the ban, leaving the council responsible for its own decision.

“We are doubly pleased that the Board is not attempting to interfere in school council affairs by imposing a recording ban and that the Ancaster High School Council has reversed course,” said JCCF constitutional lawyer Hatim Kheir. “This increases transparency and accessibility for all parents.”

This free speech win marks a turnaround from earlier in the school year.

In September, principal Jason Monteith—a board employee—opened the first council meeting by declaring the council “do not provide consent to be recorded,” and community members were warned not to film or document the proceedings.

That directive prompted the JCCF’s second legal warning on council member Catherine Kronas’ behalf, stating that recording public meetings is protected expression under the Charter.

Kronas and other parent advocates told True North that the recent Zemer v. TDSB court decision affirms that school councils should operate at arm’s length from school boards, with boards barred from dictating council business except in narrow areas set out in regulation.

They believe the ruling means that neither the principal nor the board should be controlling parent council agendas or compelling a land acknowledgement.

Kronas told True North that she believes school boards are overstepping their authority to the frustration of parents and detriment of the education system. “Zemer v. TDSB is a landmark ruling that empowers parents to hold boards to provincial law and protect their ability to speak and be heard,” she said. “It’s time for parents to take back their school councils.”

The meeting reflected a noticeable change in tone. For the first time in months, the principal did not intervene, agenda items were allowed, and minutes were approved without obstruction.

Last spring, Kronas was barred from attending council meetings following her objection to the mandatory recitation of land acknowledgements at the start of council meetings and public online access to future meetings ceased.

Much of the dispute has circled around Kronas insisting that her objection should be recorded in the meeting minutes, which had still not been approved.

On Wednesday, those minutes were finally approved. They contained a note stating that “School Council meetings are not a place to promote personal political ideology.” Some parents noted the irony as the chair opened the meeting with a new personalized land acknowledgment.

Throughout the dispute, parents and community members have raised concerns about the culture inside the meetings.

In September, Tamara Gottlieb, co-founder of the Jewish Educators and Families Association, attended to support Kronas. “The lack of understanding of what a parent council is and how it’s to operate was evident from the beginning,” she said.

She added that the meeting “ran like a promo session for the principal,” with little space for parents to discuss their children’s education. “It became clear that parents didn’t understand that parent councils are provided for in the Education Act, are for parents to be run by parents, and are there to support students and what students are at school to do, which is to learn.”

As the September meeting ended, an attendee was heard saying, “I’m not staying around for your trash,” referring to Gottlieb.

A former teacher described the treatment of Kronas as “outward bullying,” saying, “It was clear that no matter what Catherine said, she was going to be denied.” Another attendee concluded, “What I saw tonight is emblematic of everything that’s broken with education… it doesn’t feel like there’s any respect for the parent voice.”

With the recording ban lifted, parents are hopeful that school councils will remain a place for them to voice their concerns after months of conflict over free expression.