Trustee will not appeal ouster
Oliver Carroll found guilty of conflict-of-interest as member of Toronto Catholic school boardMarch 11, 2009
Kristin Rushowy
EDUCATION REPORTER
Oliver Carroll has decided not to appeal a decision that ousted him as a Toronto Catholic school board trustee for violating the municipal conflict-of-interest act.
And now there's a move afoot to launch a similar conflict-of-interest case against Trustees Barbara Poplawski and Angela Kennedy, who both have family members working for the board, said Michael Baillargeon, the Catholic ratepayer who brought the court action against Carroll.
"I have been asked, and will be providing, an affidavit to support an application, which is being prepared, before the Superior Court of Justice, as was the case with Carroll," Baillargeon said yesterday, refusing to elaborate. Neither Kennedy nor Poplawski could be reached for comment yesterday.
In February, a judge found Carroll guilty of 10 conflict-of-interest offences, in part for welcoming another trustee's proposal last spring to ban teacher layoffs even though his daughter had recently been hired by the Toronto Catholic District School Board and his son had applied to be on the supply teacher list. Carroll had also, aware of the charges against him, introduced a motion asking the board to cover the legal costs of defending trustees in conflict-of-interest cases.
While removed from office for now, the judge said Carroll could run in the 2010 municipal election, a move he has not ruled out. He had 30 days to appeal the ruling.
"I spent the last couple of weeks going over this," he said. "The problem is it would take a year to finally sort it all out. I'm not sure it serves any purpose to have this dealt with a year from now." Carroll also acknowledged he had "made an error, pushed the envelope."
A Catholic board spokesperson said a decision on how to fill Carroll's trustee seat, by appointment or by-election, should be made within days and completed in April.
Toronto's Catholic trustees were mired in controversy last year for their outlandish spending and voting themselves benefits they weren't entitled to. The provincial government eventually swooped in, sending in a supervisor to run the board after trustees failed to tighten their spending and balance the budget.
In January, Kennedy was elected chair of the board by fellow trustees at a raucous meeting, although the provincial supervisor said he would not approve the vote, stressing the need for trustees to work together.
Kennedy previously told the Star her son is employed as a long-term occasional teacher at a Toronto Catholic high school. Poplawski's daughter is an education assistant.
Toronto Star
| Sacked trustee quits appeal
By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 7th March 2009, 2:56am
Ousted Toronto Catholic school trustee Oliver Carroll said yesterday he won't appeal his judicial removal from the embattled board.
A judge found Carroll breached the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act in a ruling last month.
In the wake of the decision, Carroll said he would be appealing the decision but now says he doesn't want to delve into a process that will likely take over a year to complete and continue dredging up negativity.
"Both the board and myself have to get on with other things," Carroll said.
The judicial ruling didn't bar him from running for a trustee seat again or trying for higher office. But he was mum on any future plans.
"Oh God, ask me that next year," Carroll said. "I'll be staying out of trouble."
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Ontario Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly agreed with a complaint brought forward by ratepayer Michael Baillargeon that Carroll had broken municipal conflict of interest rules last May.
Kelly found Carroll participated in discussions, influenced and voted on teacher staffing decisions, despite having a daughter who teaches for the board and a son approved for the board's supply teacher list.
Under the Education Act, the board's provincially appointed supervisor has up to 60 days to decide how to fill the vacancy -- either through appointment or election.
Board spokesman Mary Jo Deighan said there are no finalized plans on what process the board will use.
"We hope to get something out to the community by next week," Deighan said.
The board has been embroiled in scandal since last year when the Toronto Sun revealed some trustees were expensing booze, late-night meals and vacations
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