Colin Keess, a teacher at the Estevan Comprehensive School who was re-elected as president of the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation for a third term in May, has now been suspended by a committee of his peers, the executive board of the STF.
In a statement issued this past weekend, the STF said that Keess shall not perform any duties or responsibilities of the presidency, including but not limited to, acting as a signing authority for the Federation. He is not authorized to speak on their behalf or have contact with local association leaders and/or members of the Council of the Federation for the purpose of discussing and disclosing matters relating to the affairs of the STF.
The STF executive went on to say they had hoped to deal with the undisclosed situation or events they had encountered with their president internally, but Keess's statement that he "had no clue" as to why this action has been taken, was inaccurate and he had now made the debate a public discourse. They said Keess was aware of the basis of their motion of non-confidence, and they had now scheduled an in-camera (private) meeting with him to discuss the matter in question. They did not disclose when this meeting is to take place.
The media release issued by the STF on Aug. 10, regarding the motion of non-confidence was signed by all nine executive committee members.
Speculation has surrounded the suspension and has included the stalled contract negotiations between the province and the STF with teachers having gone without a contract since August of last year. Two attempts to ratify proposed contracts that were recommended by the STF bargaining committee were ultimately rejected by a large majority of the province's 13,000 educators.
There is also speculation that an STF driven disciplinary hearing and/or court appearances by Keess for activities undertaken in the mid-1990s, had something to do with the decision to strip him of his title and duties.
The STF, however, noted that the executive voted on the non-confidence motion due to "circumstances related to Mr. Keess's conduct as president of the federation."
Adding to the mysterious rounds of activities, is the suggestion that Keess alleged that someone at STF received a phone call in June referring to a foreign website that had posted the results of the appeal Keess made following the decision that followed the disciplinary hearing in the 1990s. The caller said he could have the Court of Appeal document disappear from the website for the price of 19 Euros.
Keess's lawyer, Robert Dobrohoczki said the public disciplinary hearing and its results were already well known within the teaching community and had been extensively covered in the media at the time.
The hearing, held in the mid-1990s, was unique insofar as it was the first time the STF had conducted one in public, regarding the discipline of one of its members. The hearing was held in Estevan with the Mercury being the only media representative reporting from the site at that time.
"It was the first public disciplinary hearing for a teacher, a public process Mr. Keess has always endorsed as president in moving toward greater accountability and transparency," said Dobrohoczki in speaking with reporters, as reported in Global News.
Keess has accused STF executive director Gwen Dueck of prohibiting him from communicating with the executive and calling meetings without giving him notice. He also claimed he has been denied access to minutes and motions stemming from those meetings.
"I have no idea what the 'conduct as president' refers to in the (STF) release (to teachers), and I suppose I won't until a proper process is followed and I hear the allegations," said Keess, who added he was concerned with the perceived disconnect between the STF and its members.
In the 1990s Keess pleaded guilty to the breach of a court order pertaining to his activities at a local lounge following other events and activities, while the STF disciplinary hearing mostly focused on his actions that were deemed unprofessional while serving as a teacher/chaperone during an annual student educational visit to France.
Keess had been removed as principal at ECS earlier, but had remained on staff there as a teacher and was an active, veteran educator at the school prior to obtaining a leave of absence following his election to the STF presidency, a leave that was extended on his re-elections.
