ST. ALBERT - The St. Albert RCMP is investigating after printed material with anti-2SLGBTQ+ messaging was found littered throughout playgrounds at two local schools this week.
Early Monday morning parents taking their children to Joseph M. Demko K-9 school in Jensen Lakes found about 10 laminated posters and bookmarks with hateful messaging in the school's playground, and turned the items into administrative staff, Paula Power, a spokesperson for St. Albert Public Schools said.
Discovery of the same type of material was then reported at Muriel Martin Elementary School in Deer Ridge on Tuesday, Power said.
Const. M.J. Burroughs of the St. Albert RCMP detachment said Mounties are actively investigating, but as of June 28 no additional information can be shared. Burroughs said the two incidents are the first involving schools to be reported to the local detachment this month, despite a rash of hateful actions that have been reported elsewhere in the province during June, which is Pride Month.
An email to Joseph M. Demko parents from principal Helen Nowell on Monday said staff are grateful the hateful material was found and believed to have been removed before any students found it. The email said the school has provided the RCMP with security camera footage of the “individuals responsible.”
“Our priority at (Joseph M. Demko) and within St. Albert Public Schools is to provide a safe, welcoming, inclusive environment for all of our students, their families and our staff,” Nowell wrote. “Our school division is proud of its measures to build open relationships, hold honest conversations and support initiatives that promote inclusivity and diversity.”
Nowell also said the school and the school division have “always been clear” if parents have concerns, they are welcome to discuss their issues directly with staff and the school board.
“We were extremely disappointed, then, that members of our community, whether they are affiliated with our school or not, chose this method to communicate their beliefs, which are not reflective of our school’s or division’s beliefs and which are highly offensive and inappropriate,” Nowell wrote. “I would like to remind everyone that children in our schools need our support and encouragement, regardless of their gender identity, or that of any members of their family.”
“We cannot imagine why anyone would set out to deliberately target CHILDREN (sic) with these hateful messages.”
Power said St. Albert Public wants to make it clear every student should feel safe and welcome at school, and they are supported by the school board.
“It's just beyond belief that someone would want to cause distress in a child,” Power said. “When we see these kinds of things, we really speak out strongly and quickly against them, and we do what we need to do to help ensure that all our students feel safe and welcomed and cared for in our schools.”
“When stuff like this happens we get a lot of strong support from the rest of our families (and) from the rest of our community, so we are grateful for when the rest of our community stands up with us.”
