In a sickening update that should shake the conscience of every defender of human rights and Constitutional rights in Canada, Ontario police arrest Josh Alexander, who protested boys in girls’ bathrooms, for attending class.
I have been following this story from the beginning. See HERE and HERE for background. To sum it up: 16-year-old Ontario resident Josh Alexander was penalized with a 20-day suspension last year by his Catholic school “after he organized a walkout in protest of male students being permitted into the girls’ washroom.” In an interview around the time of Alexander’s initial suspension, the teen told LifeSiteNews that he believes, in accordance with Catholic teaching and the Bible, that there are only two sexes. Under the freedom of religion, Alexander has the guaranteed right to affirm this. Or so we thought.
Liberty Coalition Canada (LCC) took up Josh’s case and sent a “Notice of Intention to Appeal Suspension” to Mary-Lise Rowat, Superintendent of Educational Services at Renfrew County Catholic District School Board. But Josh’s situation deteriorated, and fast. LifeSite news wrote in an update February 1:
Alexander’s lawyer, James Kitchen, the chief litigator for Liberty Coalition Canada (LCC), told LifeSiteNews today that Renfrew County Catholic District School Board won’t “permit him (Alexander) to attend school for the rest of the year because, according to them, Josh’s beliefs constitute ‘bullying of trans students.’”
What nonsense. Mind you, the school is bullying Josh over his religious rights and freedoms, while doing severe damage to what the school proclaims about honoring Catholic teachings.
I previously wrote to the Diocese of Pembroke, of which Josh’s school, St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, and the Renfrew County Catholic District are a part. See the full correspondence HERE. Below is an excerpt from that correspondence, where you’ll notice immediately how institutions are able to hide (unintentionally or not) behind red tape, even when in violation of their own stated values.
On Jan 16, 2023, at 8:13 PM,
Vicar General / Vicaire général <vg@pembrokediocese.com> wrote:Dear Ms. Williams,
Thank you very much for your email, to which Bishop Desrochers has asked me to reply on his behalf.
The Renfrew County District Catholic School Board is a separate corporation from the Diocese of Pembroke, and it is under the direction of a Board of Trustees. The diocese does not have jurisdiction over the internal life of the Board, nor does the Bishop have the authority to intervene in internal matters. He can, however, exercise moral suasion, and he is in regular contact with the Board’s leadership.
I thank you again for writing.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Michael Smith
Vicar General
and more….
On Jan 17, 2023, at 6:31 PM,
Vicar General / Vicaire général <vg@pembrokediocese.com> wrote:Thank you for your reply, Ms. Williams.
I am not party to Bishop Desrochers’ conversations with the Board’s leadership, but it can safely be said that the Bishop can be trusted to uphold Catholic teaching in a manner that is both clear and sensitive to others, especially the vulnerable.
In Christ,
Fr. Michael Smith
From all appearances, the influence of Bishop Desrochers is questionable in a hierarchy that also appears to be corrupted at the highest levels and will only change with public opposition. Without any pushback, Canadians will lose more of their rights. So far, the Catholic faith, to all appearances, is of no importance at Josh’s school or within the diocese. Ethically, therefore, why is it even being funded by taxpayers as a Separate School system, categorized as religious? The news broke this month that the Ontario government faces a legal challenge for funding Catholic schools; St. Joseph’s Catholic High School and the Renfrew District School Board makes the challenge easy.
Far too many people’s rights are being trampled unconstitutionally in the rush to adhere to the woke ideology. In Josh’s case, he is a whipping boy for the intolerant in a country that boasts of its “tolerance” and “diversity.” His persecution is in a Catholic school which is apparently operating without any concern for the Catholic faith that the school professes to uphold.
St. Joseph’s Catholic School boasts about its faith and its “atmosphere of trust” on its website:
After the appalling suspension of Josh until the end of the year, Josh showed up to class, in accordance with his rights and in defiance of the woke gods of his Catholic school. The result: the school called in police to arrest him, fascist style. Josh tweeted:
I have just been arrested and charged at my Catholic highschool for attending class after being excluded for indicating my intent to adhere to my religious beliefs. pic.twitter.com/vTkaSoTnFp
— Josh Alexander (@officialJosh_A) February 6, 2023
The cowards tried to hide the impact of the school’s actions:
“The entire class was dismissed while the staff handled my situation,” the boy continued. “Shortly after, Ontario Provincial Police arrived and asked me to leave. Once again, I respectfully declined and they arrested me.”
Josh is a youngster who is bearing the burden for the rights of all believers, a burden that adults should be carrying. His attorney, James Kitchen, chief litigator for Liberty Coalition Canada (LCC), “told LifeSiteNews that Alexander’s decision to go back to school today was ‘an intelligent choice of a young man who knows what he is doing.’”
In a society that claims to abhor bullying, it is criminal that institutional bullying is now at play in the case of Josh and in full violation of Canada’s constitution.
somehistory says
Poor kid, except that he is *rich*…rich in integrity, rich in knowledge of Truth, and rich in value and virtue.
He will succeed, even if the school makes him out to be a failure. He will “reap as he sows.”
And so will the fools at the school. A very different crop, however as they are sowing bad seed for an evil crop.
Wellington says
In microcosm, indicative of how Western institutions are now failing the West, in this instance Canadian authorities (and the rot here starts at the top with the despicable Trudeau) and a pathetic Catholic Church, now “guided” by a Latin American Leftist who sees little to no value with Western Civilization and all the while making excuses over and over again for Islam’s innate barbarity and its demographic hordes invading the West.
The descent of the West continues. And all reasons for this are nefarious reasons, rooted in malevolence and monumental ignorance.
James Lincoln says
Excellent post, Wellington.
All tragically true.
Hoi Polloi says
Public schools drive out the best students. Priests send police to arrest them in private schools, thereby further supporting the left by helping them to exhibit the power leftists wield. All the while forgetting the years of obsessive chanting, “It’s a private company!!” whenever social media or amazon was questioned.
The left viciously derides homeschoolers despite their success. (Doubtless they will manipulate covid-era stats of those they forced into home learning without prep or ability of guardians having been considered to discredit those undeniable successes.) Those in charge openly set up protected classes which don’t include those threatened girls while they lie that there is no clear and obvious responsibility.
It’s like watching one of those satanic music videos in its more common, everyday form. All the elements are there.
milo minderbinder says
Hoi Polloi,
+1
The downward spiral of the Western World is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. As the Judeo/Christian values are being skillfully and methodically eradicated, they are being replaced by pure evil that is satanically inspired and from the pit of hell.
Unfortunately, this decline will continue and the end result will be a “New World Order,” a “One World Government” a world of the truly have and have nots. A world where “you will own nothing… and be happy about it.”
“EVIL IN OUR MIDST: Democrats Ditch the US Flags and Wear “Abortion” Pins Instead to SOTU Address”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/evil-midst-democrats-ditch-us-flags-wear-abortion-pins-instead-sotu-address/
“WATCH: Teacher Boasts About Making Her Students Pledge Allegiance To The Pride Flag”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/watch-teacher-boasts-making-students-pledge-allegiance-pride-flag-video/
somehistory says
This guy begins with something with which I can’t agree, but along about the 4.57 point, he says something that applies to this subject on the thread, as well as everything the “left” is pushing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntX0xWvjGrI
And, yes, milo, straight from satan the devil and his demon followers, via humans who have adopted satan’s ways and him as a ‘father.’
Hoi Polloi says
+1
Hoi Polloi says
Milo: agreed. It’s all too much to be transitive and organic. Neighbors have a college-aged trans kid who’s getting a massive “scholarship” on the basis of willingness to transition chemically and surgically. They’re out of their minds with worry.
somehistory says
I feel sorry for those parents. And all others in their shoes.
James Lincoln says
milo minderbinder says,
“As the Judeo/Christian values are being skillfully and methodically eradicated, they are being replaced by pure evil that is satanically inspired and from the pit of hell.”
Yes, tragically true.
somehistory says
Yes, they do, HP. and pat the students who disrupt class on the head and tell them if they fail, it’s someone’s else’s fault.
Hoi Polloi says
+1
OLD GUY says
And the Catholic Church wonders why people are running away from it?
James Lincoln says
OLD GUY,
There are still some very decent Catholic priests, but there is systemic rot – mostly at the top.