WCDSB trustee Wendy Ashby says she will vacate seat after calls to resign

The exterior of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. (CTV)

After a number of calls for her to resign, Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) trustee Wendy Ashby announced she will be vacating her seat.

In a statement sent to CTV News Sunday night, Ashby said she has, "decided to vacate my seat at this time, so that we can all return our focus back on the important work that we have dedicated ourselves to doing."

The calls for her resignation came after a series of now-deleted tweets were shared online.

A screenshot of one of Ashby's tweets reads: "The most dangerous creature on the planet is the white Christian male. They're a threat to anyone that is not them. #truth #facts #misogyny #whiteentitlement #racism #homophobia."

In the Sunday statement, Ashby says, "the rage baiting campaign that has been playing out illustrates the exact kind of harassment and online bullying that so many kids experience. What is even more troubling is that this behavior is coming from adults. Most are from outside interest groups who have their own agenda."

Dozens of people packed several WCDSB meetings weeks ago calling for Ashby to resign.

"When you attack another group of people and start going into the realm of outright racism, hate speech, I think everyone can stand up and stay that’s just simply unacceptable," delegate Conrad Stanley said at a meeting on May 1. "I think the prevailing wisdom, which I agree with, is that she needs to resign.

"I don’t see how she can continue in her functions on this board, given the controversy. It will continue to hound this board and embarrass this board."

WCSDB released a statement following the May 1 meeting, saying they approved a motion to appoint an outside consultant to investigate an allegation of a breach in the board's code of conduct.

"This noise distracts from the important work that is being done to further diversity equity and inclusion at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board," Ashby said in her Sunday statement. "The willingness of this board to lead in these areas is why I chose to be a part of this in the first place and why I so strongly support Catholic Education.

"I have been encouraged to continue the internal process and remain in my duly elected seat by so many. I appreciate the support, it was overwhelming, and I know that most understand the historical context to which I was referring."

Following the May 1 meeting, Ashby told CTV News she believed she was being targeted for supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ population, in particular, advocating for transgender and nonbinary people.