Int'l Boycott of Vancouver High School Diplomas Concealed by School Board

While the Vancouver School Board is exporting schools and diplomas to the children of the elite in China's Communist Party, Vancouver residents say it is importing tactics of political repression used by China's Communist Party. The result is an international boycott of Vancouver School Board secondary school diplomas.

The boycott was launched in 2004 by individuals who have since formed the ad hoc group, Canadians Opposing Political Psychiatry. The DTES Enquirer has learned that Vancouver School Board trustees and administrators, including Principals and Vice Principals, were sent written notification of the boycott but concealed it from the public.

Leaders of private sector organizations around the world "are being asked not to recognize these diplomas", according to a Feb. 13, 2004 notice entitled, "International Boycott of Diplomas Issued by the Vancouver School Board", received by the VSB. The boycott stemmed from evidence that the VSB was using police intimidation and political psychiatry to deter legitimate citizen complaints. Pursuing a complaint against the Vancouver School Board can earn the complainant a visit from Vancouver's notorious "Car 87", a police car in which an armed constable and psychiatric nurse ride. They arrive at a complainant's home, according to official forms that they complete during the visit, to perform an assessment for "apprehension" to a mental hospital.

A "Car 87" notation appears for life adjacent to that individual's name on the police computer system -- even if they are cleared. But here's the catch: even when you're cleared, you're never really cleared. The wording on the form reveals that an individual is simply not a candidate for apprehension "at this time".

The boycott was ultimately triggered by a case in which the VSB administrators targeted a woman for a Car 87 assessment based on a letter she had written to the VSB. The woman had stated in the polite Oct. 12, 2002 letter that she intended to campaign during the School Board election, then just weeks away, about VSB "duplicity" in the handling of bullying complaints. This letter was the sole “evidence” submitted to Car 87 staff to justify the Car 87 visit.

In the official Car 87 psychiatric report, though, nurse Don Getz entered as the sole reason for the Car 87, the fact that the woman had made “freedom of information requests”. The woman's Oct. 12, 2002 did include a freedom of information request.

A taped telephone call with Vancouver Police School Liaison, Sergeant Gary Lester, after the Car 87 visit reveals a lack of evidence to support the visit.  Lester told the woman that he had emphasized to the VSB that there was “nothing untoward” about her Oct. 12, 2002 letter. He also confirmed during the call that no evidence other than the letter had been used to justify the visit.

According to Car 87 policy, visits are to be restricted to individuals at "imminent" risk of killing themselves or others.  Jan Fisher, head of Client Relations at the Vancouver Health Authority, confirmed during a taped telephone conversation that this was in fact the policy.

There is no doubt that the Vancouver School Board was aware of the boycott ultimately triggered by this case. A Freedom of Information request to the VSB resulted in the release of a copy of the notice entitled "International Boycott of Diplomas Issued by the Vancouver School Board" bearing the stamp, "RECEIVED Feb. 23, 2004 HUMAN RESOURCES". The VSB also released other documents pertaining to the boycott bearing "RECEIVED" stamps with dates in 2004. Further, a copy of the notice of the boycott was hand-delivered to the Vancouver School Board headquarters at Broadway and Granville in March 2004, at which time proof of receipt was provided by a receptionist who signed a photocopy of the notice and signed her name on it.

The VSB has never formally responded to the boycott. An internal memo, though, does reveal a somewhat flippant response from a VSB administrator, "Wendy", in a handwritten memo to another VSB administrator, Sue Arthur, dated Feb. 27, 2004: "Sue – put your "Legal Counsel" hat on for this . . . . Take care & happy Friday!"

To read the full story and comments, go to the Downtown Eastside Enquirer