Too many closed-door meetings: school trustee

The Winnipeg School Division is holding too many discussions behind closed doors and out of public view, says a local trustee.

"It's a public school system. It's not a private company and I think people should be able to criticize what's going on," said Mike Babinsky.

He made the comments following a closed-door meeting on Monday in which trustees discussed the fate of two Winnipeg teachers who performed a lap dance at a school pep rally on Feb. 17.

'It's not a private company and I think people should be able to criticize what's going on.' —Mike Babinsky, trustee

No decision was made about the Churchill High School teachers at the meeting. It may not be made for several weeks yet, Babinsky said.

However, the issue should be discussed openly, as should many others that are too quickly blocked from the public, he added.

"It's not unusual to have a board meeting that lasts 15 minutes and then we break and we go behind closed doors in camera for two, three hours," he said.

The lap-dancing incident took place during a spirit week dance competition in the school gymnasium attended by staff members and about 100 students.

Two videos filmed by students were later posted to online social media sites and have since been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

In the video, the teachers — a man and a woman — can be seen grinding against each other while the woman sits in a chair placed in the middle of the gym floor. The man straddles her and bends over while she slaps his behind and playfully tucks pretend money into his waistband.

Both teachers have been sent home without pay but have not been officially suspended.