Grade 7 Sagonaska Demonstration student Joshua Lehman pictured with his mother Leslie Lehman. (Submitted photo)
This story has been updated to include the response from the Ministry of Education.
A multi-million dollar human rights lawsuit has been launched by 16 students against the Ministry of Education and Minister Liz Sandals in relation to the potential closing of demonstration schools across the province.
In April, Minister Liz Sandals said the application process at all four of the province’s demonstration schools will resume for the 2016/17 school year at least, but no long-term commitment has been made to actually keep the schools open.
Quinte News has obtained legal documents citing the students from Belleville, London and Milton have filed a $12.8 million lawsuit with The Human Rights Tribunal citing discrimination as they could be forced to attend public schools that don’t have the programming they require. Some may have to look outside the country. Individually the lawsuits are between $600,000 to $800,000 each but Quinte News has learned the Human Rights Commission has decided to group them all in one case against the Ministry of Education and Sandals.
The Ministry of Education has declined to comment however confirms that it was served with 16 Ontario Human Rights Tribunal applications filed on behalf of students at demonstration schools.
“As these matters are before the Tribunal, the Ministry cannot comment any further,” officials from Sandals office wrote.
Twelve-year-old Joshua Lehman is one of six students at Sagonaska in Belleville who filed in May. Joshua, who has Dyslexia, claims the uncertainty is a violation of his human rights now that he has had to register at the Thousand Islands Secondary School in the Upper Canada School District Board for next year.
Supporters of Sagonaska Demonstration School rally on Dundas Street in Belleville. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
At a rally held outside Sagonaska School Wednesday, Joshua’s father Mike Lehman said he’s worried because the Upper Canada District School Board was 5 million dollars short at the start of this year and has been cutting back on special education teaching hours.
Joshua’s mother, Sagonaska Parent Council Chair Leslie Lehman, said the parents received notice from the Minister of Justice over the weekend that they are moving forward with the case.
Lehman says it’s been tough watching her son lose faith in the government as all he wants to do is go to Sagonaska.
She adds the only other school that offers the reading programs Joshua needs is in Massachusetts at $73,000 US a year.
President Daryl O’Grady of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, local 456 said it’s unfortunate that the lawsuits are being filed but the parents have no other choice.
(Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
