Hundreds of letters urge Regina Public Schools not to comply with school pronoun law

A Saskatchewan coalition against the Parents’ Bill of Rights has passed on 600 letters to Regina Public Schools asking its board to refuse to comply with the controversial law.

The Saskatchewan Coalition to Repeal Bill 137 gave the division the letters Wednesday. The legislation, which passed in 2023, requires schools to obtain parental consent before students under 16 can use preferred names or pronouns. 

The letters given to the school board are from community members and transgender youth.

“I can’t stand by while our workplaces and our values are transformed by a provincial government whose motivations lie somewhere between capricious, opportunistic and malevolent. I won’t live in a Bill 137 world,” said Nick Day, a Regina Public Schools teacher.

“The Regina school board trustees have an obligation to keep anti-trans policy out of our schools and to guarantee access to public education in an inclusive environment for all students. We urge them to bring forward and vote in favour of a motion directing all anti-trans policies be removed from Regina Public Schools.”

Day was there when the letters were given to trustees. Alex Schmidt, another Regina school division teacher who was there Wednesday, said she hopes the letters make the trustees take violations to human rights more seriously.

“I hope that they take action with the government, as well as look at their policies that are existing and not comply,” she said.

“There’s a strong unit above us that could be taking on the risk that is currently being done by more vulnerable people. So, I want them to get involved in that action.”

Schmidt said she is amazed by the work students have taken on to make schools more safe for everyone, a job adults should be doing for them.

“They’re speaking out in the ways that they can to keep themselves safe and still say this is really wrong,” she said.

“And they are incredible for speaking the way that they have against this bill.”

Regina Public Schools said it must meet all provincial legislation and policy requirements. 

“Regina Public Schools’ policies and administrative procedures are thoughtfully designed to align with provincial legislation, while empowering teachers and school-based staff to do what they do best — keeping students safe while ensuring meaningful, high-quality learning continues every day. We are very proud of the work done by our teachers, leaders, and students,” the division said in a statement. 

“Our core function is teaching, and our most important outcome is learning. Regina Public Schools will continue to support and celebrate our staff and students’ success going forward.”

Premier Scott Moe said he still stands behind the bill. 

“We pass, you know, 30 or 40 bills each and every year. And there’s opposition from certain individuals on likely each and every one of those bills. Largely in particular, those that are more public or public facing in the impact that they have.”

The premier said parents should be involved in the decisions of students using different names or pronouns in the classroom. 

“The parental bill of rights was, you know, put forward to ensure that parents are involved with their children’s education and the decisions that are being made by their children in our educational schools across the province,” Moe said. 

“You know, at the end of the day, this bill, and many others, are about including people — and in particular parents — in decisions that their children are making.”