CLC Blog

Yesterday was the big day for Toronto Catholic School Trustee, Michael Del Grande.

In his ongoing legal battle with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, a three-judge panel of the Ontario Court of Appeal heard arguments from Del Grande’s lawyers as to why it was unlawful for the TCDSB to find him “guilty” of trustee misconduct.

ABOVE: Michael Del Grande (left) and Charles Lugosi, Senior Defense Counsel (right).

The court also heard from the school board’s lawyers who argued they had every right to try him a second time for the same alleged misconduct, despite having found him not guilty the first time.

Now, we wait while the three judges write their ruling.

We don’t know how long this might take.

It could be weeks or even months before we learn their decision.

So, in the interim, we ask you to please pray that the Holy Spirit, through the intercession of Our Lady, will soften the hearts of, and give holy wisdom to the panel members, that they may grant justice to Trustee Del Grande.

Also, pray that they agree to reinstate the original not guilty verdict, and set Michael free from the sanctions and persecutions heaped on him by his TCDSB trustee colleagues.

In the meantime, Trustee Del Grande has not been resting on his laurels!

He has continued fighting for truth and fidelity to Jesus Christ at the Toronto Catholic District School Board, in the face of ongoing secular incursions.

At last Thursday’s monthly board meeting, Mike gave an impassioned speech to his TCDSB colleagues, pleading with them not to adopt an anti-Christian “Human Rights Policy” for the board.

This draft policy would further enshrine “Gender Identity”, “Gender Expression”, and “Sexual Orientation” as protected grounds for non-discrimination throughout the faith-based school system.

His closing statement to the TCDSB really hit home:

“If we were to boldly and proudly defend Catholic teachings and doctrine as true, beautiful and good, instead of allowing secularism to trample over us, more families and students would be attracted to the Catholic faith and to our schools.

“I assure you – embracing a secular Human Rights Code that directly pits itself against the Catholic faith, is a death knell for Catholic schools.

“What will you say for yourself when our separate schools are gone because even Catholics called for amalgamation, seeing little moral difference between the two systems?”

A majority of the board ultimately voted to proceed with the secular, anti-Christian policy, and have directed the staff to write such a policy they can vote to finalize at a later date.

However, at least a couple of the dissident trustees had their consciences tweaked by Del Grande’s speech, protesting bitterly at the suggestion that they have undermined the Catholic identity of the TCDSB.

As you can see, even with all his legal problems in the Court and at the Ontario Teachers College, Michael is still fighting to uphold Christian truth.

Will you please help this Christian warrior carry on? Please make a generous donation to his legal defense fund by clicking here to donate now.

Mike is underwater with legal bills, and he appreciates whatever you can do to help him.