Officials with Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools have failed to take action against a trustee who has repeatedly targeted female defenders of sex-based rights in the area.Tom Rokeby has been accused of "libelling women speaking at events on Vancouver Island" and working to "deplatform" those engaged in "civil discussions on issues of paramount importance to our more vulnerable youth."Among those who have been singled out by Rokeby are the women involved in Vancouver Island Speaks, who have hosted a series of talks discussing gender identity ideology, parental rights, and the need for sex-segregated spaces. The group was founded by Meghan Murphy and Bryony Dixon, and has toured the island speaking alongside other notable defenders such as Mia Hughes, Serena Winterburn, Kellie-Lynn Pirie, April Kitzul, Linda Blade, and Magdalena Huston.Following a successful event at Victoria's Ambrosia Banquet Hall in May, the group set up another on September 14 at the same location. Before long, however, activists began trying to bully the owners into cancelling, and after weeks of them "abusing" him online, he caved..Event critical of gender ideology forced to find new venue after Victoria banquet hall caves to activist pressure.He not only cancelled the event, but denounced Vancouver Island Speaks publicly and purportedly booked an event with trans activists that same night.Dixon told the Western Standard that the group managed to book the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 292, which did not ask for specific information about the nature of the event. The venue was kept secret until the day of the event, and things went off without a hitch.Nonetheless, activists harassed the legion and in an email, branch manager Lorrie Weston claimed that the institution did not support "the beliefs" espoused by the panellists. She apologised to "those who were hurt.".Dixon called the legion and discovered that Weston had essentially been forced to respond that way by the activists.Activists proceeded to take her email and publish it online, trying to pass it off as an official statement. Among those who shared it was Rokeby. He referred to Vancouver Island Speaks as an "anti-trans hate group," and claimed they had "fraudulently rented" the hall to host "one of their hate rallies.".Murphy responded to him, making it clear that the event was simply a "panel of women speaking about women's rights, free speech, and protecting kids."She warned him that they may have to take legal steps to combat his "libellous" statements, and soon after, he deleted the post.Dixon went on to send an email to the school board bringing attention to Rokeby's behaviour, providing numerous examples of his attempts to silence those with whom he disagrees."I am deeply concerned by the ideological capture of the SD68 school board if it agrees with labelling concerned parents as 'bigots' or 'far-right' for merely discussing the findings of … The Cass Report or … the WPATH Files," she wrote. "This type of bullying from an uninformed public official is unacceptable."Dixon urged those on the board to watch the events to see for themselves how Rokeby's claims were not even remotely true. Vice Chair Naomi Bailey privately messaged Dixon, a former Vancouver Island University colleague, after she sent the email, and the two discussed the situation. In an earlier exchange, Bailey referred to what Dixon was talking about at her events as "your truth" and "your values."The board chair eventually replied, simply noting that her email had been received. Dixon also asked to appear at the next board meeting, and was told her request had to be "approved" first. In an exchange with recently-elected but not-yet-sworn-in trustee Tim Harris, Dixon reiterated her demands for a public retraction and apology from Rokeby, again vowing to educate attendees at the next board meeting on his "grotesque misrepresentation" of her and her fellow speakers.As of September 26, Dixon has not received any further communication from the board or its members.
Officials with Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools have failed to take action against a trustee who has repeatedly targeted female defenders of sex-based rights in the area.Tom Rokeby has been accused of "libelling women speaking at events on Vancouver Island" and working to "deplatform" those engaged in "civil discussions on issues of paramount importance to our more vulnerable youth."Among those who have been singled out by Rokeby are the women involved in Vancouver Island Speaks, who have hosted a series of talks discussing gender identity ideology, parental rights, and the need for sex-segregated spaces. The group was founded by Meghan Murphy and Bryony Dixon, and has toured the island speaking alongside other notable defenders such as Mia Hughes, Serena Winterburn, Kellie-Lynn Pirie, April Kitzul, Linda Blade, and Magdalena Huston.Following a successful event at Victoria's Ambrosia Banquet Hall in May, the group set up another on September 14 at the same location. Before long, however, activists began trying to bully the owners into cancelling, and after weeks of them "abusing" him online, he caved..Event critical of gender ideology forced to find new venue after Victoria banquet hall caves to activist pressure.He not only cancelled the event, but denounced Vancouver Island Speaks publicly and purportedly booked an event with trans activists that same night.Dixon told the Western Standard that the group managed to book the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 292, which did not ask for specific information about the nature of the event. The venue was kept secret until the day of the event, and things went off without a hitch.Nonetheless, activists harassed the legion and in an email, branch manager Lorrie Weston claimed that the institution did not support "the beliefs" espoused by the panellists. She apologised to "those who were hurt.".Dixon called the legion and discovered that Weston had essentially been forced to respond that way by the activists.Activists proceeded to take her email and publish it online, trying to pass it off as an official statement. Among those who shared it was Rokeby. He referred to Vancouver Island Speaks as an "anti-trans hate group," and claimed they had "fraudulently rented" the hall to host "one of their hate rallies.".Murphy responded to him, making it clear that the event was simply a "panel of women speaking about women's rights, free speech, and protecting kids."She warned him that they may have to take legal steps to combat his "libellous" statements, and soon after, he deleted the post.Dixon went on to send an email to the school board bringing attention to Rokeby's behaviour, providing numerous examples of his attempts to silence those with whom he disagrees."I am deeply concerned by the ideological capture of the SD68 school board if it agrees with labelling concerned parents as 'bigots' or 'far-right' for merely discussing the findings of … The Cass Report or … the WPATH Files," she wrote. "This type of bullying from an uninformed public official is unacceptable."Dixon urged those on the board to watch the events to see for themselves how Rokeby's claims were not even remotely true. Vice Chair Naomi Bailey privately messaged Dixon, a former Vancouver Island University colleague, after she sent the email, and the two discussed the situation. In an earlier exchange, Bailey referred to what Dixon was talking about at her events as "your truth" and "your values."The board chair eventually replied, simply noting that her email had been received. Dixon also asked to appear at the next board meeting, and was told her request had to be "approved" first. In an exchange with recently-elected but not-yet-sworn-in trustee Tim Harris, Dixon reiterated her demands for a public retraction and apology from Rokeby, again vowing to educate attendees at the next board meeting on his "grotesque misrepresentation" of her and her fellow speakers.As of September 26, Dixon has not received any further communication from the board or its members.
