Public Outcry Over Lavish Italy Trip Sparks Calls for Resignation of Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic School Trustees

Brantford, Ontario - December 2, 2024

A wave of discontent and indignation has swept through the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board as a petition demanding the immediate resignation of four trustees gains momentum following revelations of their extravagant trip to Italy to procure artwork for a new Brantford high school.

Jillian Clark, a staunch advocate for educational integrity and a parent deeply entrenched in the local Catholic school system, spearheaded the petition on change.org barely a week ago. Since its inception, the petition has garnered an impressive 857 signatures, reflecting a groundswell of community dissatisfaction with the actions of trustees Rick Petrella, Dan Dignard, Bill Chopp, and Mark Watson.

"It’s not a request, it’s a demand," remarked Clark, underscoring the urgency for the embattled trustees to step down in light of their controversial overseas excursion. The trip, costing a staggering $50,000, saw the trustees journey to South Tyrol in July to acquire $100,000 worth of art pieces, including life-size hand-painted statues of the Virgin Mary and St. Padre Pio destined for the chapel of the forthcoming St. Padre Pio Secondary School on Powerline Road.

A breakdown of the expenses incurred during the trip, unveiled through a Freedom of Information request by The Expositor, laid bare the extravagant spending habits of the four trustees The figures revealed exorbitant sums allocated to transportation, accommodation, and dining, with a single dinner at an upscale Italian establishment amounting to $1,600.

Outraged by the revelations, Clark lamented the misallocation of funds, highlighting the stark contrast between the trustees' lavish expenditures and the persistent financial burdens borne by parents and teachers within the school system. She emphasized the disconnect between the trustees' actions and the daily struggles faced by educators who often dip into their own pockets to provide essential supplies for their classrooms.

The petition denounces the trustees' actions as a "gross misuse of education funds," decrying the ethical lapses and lack of accountability that have marred the reputation of the Catholic school board. It underscores the betrayal of trust felt by the community, emphasizing the need for decisive action to rectify the damage caused by the trustees' irresponsible conduct.

In response to the public backlash, Board Chair Rick Petrella expressed regret over the incident and pledged to reimburse the board for all expenses incurred during the illfated trip Efforts are reportedly underway to solicit donations to cover the costs of the controversial artwork, with the aim of mitigating the fallout from the scandal

As scrutiny intensifies and calls for accountability grow louder, Minister of Education Jill Dunlop has initiated a governance review of the board, with Premier Doug Ford ordering an audit of all Ontario school boards in the wake of mounting travel scandals. Despite these measures, skeptics like Clark remain wary of the efficacy of external reviews and are poised to present their grievances directly to the school board at its upcoming December meeting

As the community awaits further developments, the fate of the embattled trustees hangs in the balance, with the specter of resignation looming large amidst a landscape of public censure and demands for transparency and accountability in educational governance.