The Hastings Prince Edward District School Board is on the hook for a hefty bill, stemming from two investigations by the integrity commissioner.
The battles surround complaints against North Prince Edward Trustee Rachel Prinzen.
The complaints and subsequent penalties handed to Prinzen were for code of conduct violations related to breaches of confidentiality.
The first was announced in November 2024, while the most recent came to light at the end of last month.
Prinzen appealed the May finding and that decision was announced Monday evening at the board of trustees’ final meeting of the 2024-25 school year.
Vice-Chair Stacey Lewis read the finding from the closed session of the Committee of the Whole.
Audio Player“The board of trustees confirms their determination that Trustee Rachel Prinzen has breached Section 5 of the code, for failing to keep confidential information disclosed at a closed board or committee meeting and divulging such confidential information without authorization by the board as required by law.”
The penalty announced in May was upheld.
Audio Player“That Trustee Prinzen be barred from attending all or part of a meeting of the board or a committee thereof and from sitting on one or more of the board’s committees for a period of 90 days, commencing August 25, 2025.”
In February, a divisional court had granted a temporary stay on the first code violation investigation, however, it is not known if Prinzen will also look for a stay on the second investigation.
The board is obligated to have an integrity commissioner, but of course they do come at a cost.
On Monday, Board Chair Kari Kramp read out the price tag.
Audio Player” … and the current costing for the two code of conduct breaches and associated processes from 2024 and 2025 to date is $110,000 (actual amount, $110,318).”
Kramp commented during the meeting on the investigations.
Audio Player“I’m disappointed in the need for resources to be spent in this way, when they could be going directly toward student support. That said it’s our responsibility as trustees to carry out duties that align with our code of conduct and relevant legislation.”
Also Monday evening, Trustee Ernie Parsons made a Notice of Motion, that at the next meeting of the board of trustees, they vote to release the findings of the integrity commissioner’s second investigation against Prinzen.
