Jovanović resigns following ‘punitive responses’ to governance concerns

Susan Jovanović, who resigned last week as District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) trustee for Fort Erie and Port Colborne, says that when she raised concerns about how the board was being run, she faced threats of formal complaints, and that fellow trustees with potential conflicts of interest never disclosed them.

Her remarks, provided exclusively to Fort Erie Radio by email response, are the most detailed account yet of why she left a seat she was elected to in October 2022. The resignation has left thousands of students across two south Niagara municipalities without elected representation while the school board moves through a formal appointment process.

Jovanović told Fort Erie Radio that when she raised concerns about board governance, the response was often a threat of Code of Conduct proceedings. She declared her own conflicts of interest, but said other members of the board would not.

“Others whose political activities or employment could reasonably present conflicts yet declared none,” wrote Jovanović.

In a statement posted to Facebook on March 27, Jovanović said she resigned for “ethical reasons,” adding that confidentiality prevented her from saying more. She clarified what she meant in an exclusive email to Fort Erie Radio.

“By ‘ethical reasons,’ I refer to situations where raising governance concerns often led to punitive responses, including threats of Code of Conduct,” she wrote.

She also described board meetings becoming political in a way she found incompatible with the Education Act’s expectation that trustees remain neutral and focused on student achievement.

Her dissenting vote at the February 24 board meeting, the last on record before her resignation, appears to have been a turning point. She was the only trustee to vote against ratifying business conducted during a closed private session that night, and her response to whether that vote shaped her decision was unambiguous.

“It was made clear to me that I could no longer support or be part of that process,” she wrote. “When the matter discussed becomes public and the community asks why, I can’t provide a satisfactory explanation–because I believe there isn’t one.”

Ontario law does not require school boards to disclose what is discussed or decided in closed session, and the minutes from that meeting contain no indication of what Jovanović objected to. The DSBN has not yet publicly explained the circumstances of her resignation.

Despite her departure, Jovanović said she intends to remain engaged with education issues in the region.

“Even though I’m no longer serving as trustee, I’m committed to finding other ways to ensure parent voices and experiences are heard, considered, and reflected in the decisions that shape our schools,” she wrote.

Owen Riel, the highest-ranked unsuccessful candidate from the 2022 election, has until April 8 to confirm whether he is willing and eligible to accept an appointment. If he does, the board is expected to appoint him at its April 28 meeting.

If he declines, the process moves to Gregg Dame, the third-place finisher, and if neither is available, the board will open a public application process with a special meeting no later than May 26.

Whoever fills the seat will serve until November 14, 2026, when the position returns to voters.

“There’s reason for optimism about the future of our education system as I believe this year will bring important opportunities for improvement,” said Jovanović.

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