A Waterloo Region District School Board policy requiring mandatory land acknowledgements is now facing a formal legal challenge that questions its constitutionality and implementation process.
Professor Takes a Stand
The judicial review was launched on behalf of Geoffrey Horsman, a biochemistry professor and member of the Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School Council. Horsman, who has three children attending schools within the district, began raising concerns when the council started opening meetings with land acknowledgements without ever holding a vote or debate on the practice.
According to lawyers from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) who are representing Horsman, the mandatory nature of these acknowledgements violates Charter freedoms by forcing ideological statements and prohibiting any discussion about them.
Board Doubles Down Despite Concerns
Horsman's attempts to address the issue through proper channels were repeatedly blocked. In the spring of 2025, he sought to place the matter on the council agenda for discussion, but the Council Chair declined and referred him to the school principal.
On May 9, 2025, the principal informed Horsman that the board requires land acknowledgements at all school council meetings and that the topic could not be debated. The board reinforced this position in an email dated October 29, 2025, from Vinay Tiwari, the board's system administrator of equity and inclusive education.
Tiwari wrote that territorial acknowledgements would continue to be part of School Council and WRDSB gatherings, adding that questioning the validity of equity-focused initiatives risks undermining the dignity of community members.
Constitutional Arguments Against the Policy
The judicial application outlines three key Charter violations:
- Mandating land acknowledgements compels individuals to sit through statements that may contradict their belief in the inherent dignity and equality of all people
- Prohibiting discussion suppresses Charter-protected freedom of expression
- The Board has no statutory power under the Education Act or Ontario Regulation 612/00 to dictate school council practices or impose ideological recitations
Constitutional lawyer Hatim Kheir stated: School councils exist to give a voice to parents. It is unconstitutional for the Board to mandate ideological recitations and prohibit any debate to the contrary.
Horsman emphasized the significance of the prohibition on discussion, noting that School Councils represent one of the few official communication channels available for parent input, yet parents are forbidden from even discussing the appropriateness of such statements at these meetings.
