Principal leaving Orleans French Catholic high school two weeks after dress code blitz
The principal of a French Catholic high school in Orleans is leaving the school this week, two weeks after students said a dress code enforcement "blitz" left them feeling degraded and humiliated.
In a letter to parents and guardians of Béatrice-Desloges Catholic High School, the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est said Marie-Claude Veilleux will no longer be principal of the school and is now the director of Learning Support Services with the board.
"I would like to sincerely thank Marie-Claude Vellieux for her great dedication during the three years she spent as principal of Béatrice-Desloges Catholic secondary school," Superintendent of Education Jason Dupuis said in the letter. "Since taking office, the school has improved its service offering, in particular by updating its artistic concentration."
The letter makes no mention of the dress code enforcement blitz. A letter to parents listed on the Beatrice-Desloges school website from the CECCE Director of Education said school management had been teleworking since May 13 to allow the board to conduct an investigation into the dress code enforcement.
The letter said school management apologized during the virtual announcements to students, and the vice-principals visited classrooms to apologize in person and "explain the dress code review process that will be put in place."
Sebastien Pharand will begin as principal of Béatrice-Desloges as of May 30. Pharand has worked with the CECCE since 2004, and is currently vice-principal at Garneau Catholic Secondary School.
On May 13, hundreds of students held a protest outside Béatrice-Desloges to protest a dress code "blitz" by staff. Sophie Labbee, 18, told CTV News Ottawa she was one of the students called out of class because of her wardrobe. Labbee said a teacher told her that her shorts were too short.
“She said that they had to be mid-thigh, and made me do this weird test where I bend my knee and she touched my thigh and showed me that that was my mid-thigh and if it was any shorter than that it was inappropriate,” she told CTV News Ottawa.
In a letter to parents to explain the blitz two weeks ago, Veilleux said there had been meetings with students to remind them of the school's dress code.
"The blitz exercise was done in all our classrooms, in order to ensure compliance with the dress code," Vellieux said.
Director of Education Marc Bertrand told parents the way the dress code was enforced was unacceptable, and apologized to students and families.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Child dies after being left in hot car while mother taught at Ontario high school, mayor says
An Ontario community is reeling after a 23-month-old boy died when he was accidentally left in a hot car outside the school where his mother taught, the mayor says.

G7 leaders discuss cap on price of Russian gas to squeeze war funds
Group of Seven leaders considered a possible cap on the price of Russian gas exports on Monday as a way to put the squeeze on the funding for Vladimir Putin's war with Ukraine.
Woman trampled, killed by horses at central Alberta rodeo: RCMP
A 30-year-old woman is dead after falling off a horse at the Ponoka Stampede on Sunday.
'There won't be occupiers': City of Ottawa, police prepared for Canada Day protests
City of Ottawa staff and the Ottawa Police Service are ensuring residents that planned protests on Canada Day will not devolve into the kind of occupation that residents endured this past winter.
Russian missile strike hits crowded shopping mall in Ukraine
Russian long-range bombers fired a missile that struck a crowded shopping mall in Ukraine's central city of Kremenchuk on Monday, raising fears of what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an 'unimaginable' number of victims in 'one of the most disastrous terrorist attacks in European history.'
'Deepest apologies': Central Alberta rodeo organizers shocked by parade float
Organizers of a central Alberta rodeo and its parade committee are calling for calm after a float in this weekend's parade, which possessed a racist theme, was seen in the procession.
New double crater seen on the moon after mystery rocket impact
The moon has a new double crater after a rocket body collided with its surface on March 4.
Deadly and contagious rabbit virus detected in Ontario for first time
A highly contagious and deadly virus that affects rabbits and hares has been detected in Ontario for the first time.
New Omicron subvariant expected to become dominant COVID-19 strain in Ontario
A new subvariant of Omicron is expected to become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Ontario, health officials say.