CLC Blog

Josh Alexander, the Christian student whose biblical-based view on there being only two sexes got him suspended and then arrested by his Catholic school, is about to face off against his Catholic School Board. He can sure use your moral support. The trustees who have the power to revoke his suspension also need to feel the pressure from the community.

The stakes here are high, because if he wins, it’s both a victory for free speech and religious freedom, and a personal victory for Josh who’ll be able to return to high school after an unjust expulsion.

If he loses, though, it’ll be a defeat for families across the country, and another devastating setback to the Christian character of Ontario’s Catholic schools, which is already in deep decline.

So, here’s what’s happening:

A panel of trustees with the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board is scheduled to hold in-person appeal hearings for young Mr. Alexander next week.

Josh is challenging the Board on four specific issues:

1 – His suspension dated December 20, 2022;

2 – His suspension dated January 9, 2023;

3 – The exclusion decision against him dated January 26, 2023;

4 – The exclusion decision dated September 13, 2023.

The combination of those suspensions and exclusions have barred him from returning to the classroom and continuing his high school education, all because he objected to biological males being allowed into the girls' washrooms.

Next week’s hearings will determine whether the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board (RCCDSB) will “confirm, vary, or quash any or all” of those suspensions and exclusions.

It’s important to note that Josh was almost denied the opportunity to make any appeal of his suspension from school altogether. Initially, the board rejected his challenges, so he fought all the way to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, which eventually ruled in his favour back in September.

So, how did he get here in the first place?

Well, this all goes back to last year when Josh organized a school walkout in support of girls’ rights to access female-only spaces without the presence of male students.

Josh was simply defending the Biblical tradition – in a Catholic school, no less – that God only created two sexes: male and female.

It’s a story that took months to unfold, and you can read all about the background by clicking here.

The important thing now is that we rally to support Josh in his challenge against the Board.

STAND WITH JOSH

We’re calling on all of our supporters in Pembroke and the surrounding area to join the rallies that are being planned outside the RCCDSB offices next week, during and outside the suspension hearings, to demand that the tribunal panel rule in Josh’s favour, to allow him to return to class.

Here are the details:

WHERE: On the sidewalk in front of the RCCDSB offices located at 499 Pembroke St. West in Pembroke (Click here for directions.)

DATES: Wednesday, November 15th & Friday, November 17th

TIME: 9:00 AM

It’s important we let the RCCDSB trustees know that the community is firmly behind Mr. Alexander and his God-given right to express the biblical truth that God made only males and females.

Please phone the Director of Education, along with the Trustees, and respectfully ask them to quash Mr. Alexander’s suspensions and exclusions.

Mark Searson
Director of Education
Phone: 613-735-1031

Bob Schreader
Chairperson
Phone: 613-735-1032 ext. 506

David Howard
Vice-Chairperson
Phone: 613-735-1032 ext. 507

Pat O’Grady
Phone: 613-735-1032 ext. 508

Susan Artymko
Phone: 613-735-1032 ext. 511

Anne Haley
Phone: 613-735-1032 ext. 509

Andrew Bray
Phone: 613-735-1032 ext. 510

The RCCDSB does not provide email addresses for individual Trustees or the Director. However, you can write to the board’s generic email address and mark in the subject line that it is to “Director and School Board Trustees”, at: [email protected].

Josh has been making regular posts on social media about the hearings and the rallies that'll take place simultaneously, so please keep an eye on his X account (formerly Twitter) to see if there are any updates.

Also, we need to keep Josh and the RCCDSB trustees in our prayers, because there’s a spiritual side to this story that we shouldn’t ignore. The devil wants to break-up families and pull souls away from God, which is why these kinds of battles at the school board level are so crucial in the Culture Wars.