FREE SPEECH

Lynda di Armani

In June 2023, Lynda di Armani attended a public school board meeting in Chilliwack, British Columbia. A grandmother and former school employee, she went to the meeting to express her concerns about a potential conflict of interest at the board. It had come to light that the board member who was seeking school funding to promote Pride events in schools was also the marketing director for the local Pride society. Ms. di Armani’s remarks were brief and calm.

The school board Chair, Willow Reichelt, along with the Vice-Chair, Carin Bondar, immediately interrupted and muted Ms. di Armani’s presentation, baselessly claiming that her remarks were somehow “discriminatory” and that “[t]here is no conflict of interest when you’re talking about basic human rights.”

After being interrupted four times in rapid succession, Ms. di Armani was ordered to sit down before she had finished. The Chair then muted the livestream of the public meeting. The viewing audience could not then hear Ms. di Armani’s response or the statements of the Chair. Unfortunately, this is part of a pattern of censorship at this school board.

The Board’s message has been clear: if we dislike your expression, we will silence you. We will strike your voice from the public record in the name of “human rights” and preventing “discrimination.”

Fortunately, the Supreme Court of Canada has been very clear: public schools are government bodies subject to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 2(b) of the Charter protects the freedoms of thought, belief, opinion, and expression of all Canadians, including at school board meetings.

School board censorship silences debate. It violates the right of speakers to express themselves. It violates the right of board members and the listening public to access a diversity of perspectives. It disrupts democracy and undermines democratic accountability.

Unfortunately, the problem of “school board censorship” is not unique to British Columbia.

It happened to Trustee Mike Ramsay in Waterloo, Ontario. It happened to former elementary school teacher Carolyn Burjoski in the same district. Increasingly, school boards across the country are neglecting their Charter obligations to protect expression. Instead, they are disciplining trustees, silencing dissent, and depriving the public of necessary debate on critical issues.

Ms. di Armani knows that school boards should not mute disagreement. On the contrary, disagreement and debate are part of a healthy democracy.

Thanks to your donations, JCCF lawyers helped Lynda di Armani file a constitutional challenge against the school board in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

She is asking the Court to declare that the school board violated her Charter rights and the Charter rights of the listening public. She seeks a Court Order that allows the public to record school board meetings themselves as a measure that would prevent school board censorship in the future.

We, alongside the JCCF, will continue to help Lynda di Armani fight censorship in Chilliwack through her constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Will you join us in this fight for our basic rights?

Donate to Support Lynda di Armani's Case

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Attn: Lynda Di Armani

c/o Rights and Freedoms Fundraising Society

P.O. Box 21004

Chilliwack, BC V2P 8A9

Lynda di Armani News and Case Updates

JCCF: Challenging  school board censorship  in British Columbia

JCCF: Challenging school board censorship in British Columbia

Who should raise children? Schools or parents? Who is better positioned to protect and care for children? Governments or families? These questions have become national issues for parents, policymake... ...more

News / Case Updates ,Lynda di Armani

August 02, 20243 min read

Lynda Di Armani: Why can’t we ask questions about the Superintendent’s Report?

Lynda Di Armani: Why can’t we ask questions about the Superintendent’s Report?

Lynda Di Armani questions why the Superintendent's report is presented after the lasts opportunity for public questioning about its contents. ...more

News / Case Updates ,Lynda di Armani

June 03, 20240 min read

Chilliwack School District restricts commenting on social media posts

Chilliwack School District restricts commenting on social media posts

The Chilliwack School District has now limited the ability of parents, Chilliwack community members and social media users to comment on its social media posts on Facebook or X, formerly known as Twit... ...more

News / Case Updates ,Lynda di Armani

November 30, 20232 min read

Chilliwack Board of Education to consider changes to public participation at board meetings

Chilliwack Board of Education to consider changes to public participation at board meetings

The Chilliwack Board of Education is set to consider changes to how the public interacts with the school board at its virtual online meeting. ...more

News / Case Updates ,Lynda di Armani

November 08, 20236 min read

B.C. grandma sues Chilliwack school board for censoring concerned parents over sex activism in schools

B.C. grandma sues Chilliwack school board for censoring concerned parents over sex activism in schools

Lynda di Armani was silenced by the board mid-question and accused of being discriminatory after raising concerns over an alleged conflict of interest. ...more

News / Case Updates ,Lynda di Armani

October 27, 20230 min read

Former SD33 employee sues Chilliwack school board for censoring, interrupting her at board meeting

Former SD33 employee sues Chilliwack school board for censoring, interrupting her at board meeting

The Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) announced Wednesday (Oct. 18) that a lawsuit has been filed against the Chilliwack School District after its board chair and vice-ch... ...more

News / Case Updates ,Lynda di Armani

October 19, 20234 min read

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