Texts tied to Victoria school board firing reversal prompt request for police watchdog review

The newly reinstated chair of the Greater Victoria School Board says she doesn’t buy the government’s assertion that it failed to disclose ‘jarring’ text messages about her for a court case that collapsed on Monday.

School District 61 Trustee Nicole Duncan said she and her fellow board members are vindicated by the province’s fumbled defence of its decision to fire them last year over a dispute about the board’s cancellation of the school police liaison program.

On Monday, a B.C. Supreme Court Justice voided the ministerial order that dismissed the trustees, immediately reinstating them.

“If we want to protect our democracy, then we can’t turn a blind eye to elected officials being removed from their public office,” Duncan told CTV News on Tuesday.

The case was scheduled for a judicial review over the next two weeks, but it was withdrawn because the education ministry failed to provide all necessary records as part of the disclosure process.

‘Karma is a b****’

Late last week, the province disclosed communications between education ministry officials, police leaders, and an independent advisor appointed to the school board.

An affidavit reveals the records include texts that show associate deputy education minister Jennifer McCrea and recently retired Victoria Police Department Deputy Chief Mike Brown were in regular contact.

The day after the board was fired, McCrea texted Brown, “So…that happened.”

In a series of texts, he responds, saying “Karma is a b****. Good things come to those who wait. The truth shall set you free.”

He goes on to praise McCrea.

“Thanks so much for coming through on this file. I think you were the key player in this whole thing,” he wrote.

Duncan, who Brown refers to as a “narcissistic loser” in another text to McCrea — said the exchange indicates ministry staff colluded with police.

“It certainly was very jarring to read the exchange,” Duncan said.

Request for police watchdog review

Brown retired on Monday, which Victoria Police Department Chief Fiona Wilson said was pre-planned and not connected to the court case.

Wilson said she’s asking the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner to review the messages.

“The text exchange disclosed during the judicial review between the B.C. Government and School District No. 61 trustees does not reflect the standards we expect of our members or our organization,” Wilson said in a statement.

Education Minister Lisa Beare said disclosing whether disciplinary action will be taken against McCrea would be an HR violation.

“I’ve seen some of the text messages and they absolutely are inappropriate and unprofessional and don’t reflect our views as government,” Beare said in the halls of the legislature on Tuesday.

“I’m going to continue my work as minister to understand what happened here.”

During question period, opposition members pressed the minister on her assertion that the failure to disclose was “inadvertent.”

Duncan echoed their concern.

“We (the trustees) don’t think it was inadvertent,” she said. “That is not believable.”

Beare said when the ministry became aware of the error, it took immediate action to disclose the records.

Taxpayers on the hook

The court ordered the province to cover the board members’ legal fees and backpay for remuneration they would have received had they not been fired.

Beare said she doesn’t yet know the price tag for the province.

Interim trustee Sherri Bell was appointed after the board was dismissed. The court declared all steps Bell took in the role are valid, which includes passing SD61’s budget for the coming school year.

Duncan and her fellow trustees are already organizing future board meetings and briefings on what they’ve missed.

“My colleagues and I are all extremely excited to be able to get back to what we were elected to do in the term that is left,” Duncan said.

A new board will be selected as part of the general elections in October.