Appeal by Former HRSB Members Dismissed

Nova Scotia's highest court has upheld Education Minister Karen Casey's decision to replace the elected members of the former Halifax Regional School Board with an appointed, one-person board.

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal today, July 3, dismissed an appeal by six of the 13 ousted board members. The former board members asked the court to overturn a Supreme Court of Nova Scotia decision last October upholding the minister's action against the board in December 2006.

In a written decision, the appeal court said the minister's decision was, at its core, "not about sanctioning board members. Instead, it was about protecting a quality education for Halifax's school children."

"I am pleased that the higher court has affirmed what was a difficult decision made in, what I believed to be, the best interests of students," said Ms. Casey.

"That being said, I am looking forward to introducing legislation in the fall that will give school boards and the minister of education more options for disciplining individual board members."

The appeal of Justice Heather Robertson's decision was filed by Gary O'Hara, Deborah Brunt, Grace Walker, Bridget Ann Boutilier, Debra Barlow and Wade Marshall. The case was heard by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal on June 3.