A man was arrested for being disruptive on school property in West Vancouver, police say.
On Tuesday, Sept. 19 at around 8:45 a.m., the man was demonstrating with anti-SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) messaging near the roundabout at Ecole Cedardale Elementary.
West Vancouver police received a call from school board administration that the man was being disruptive on school grounds, said Sgt. Mark McLean, spokesperson for the detachment.
Under the School Act, schools have the authority to remove anyone who is causing a disturbance or disruption, McLean explained, adding that staff had asked him to leave but he wouldn’t go.
“When we went there, for us, it was simply a trespassing matter,” McLean said. “The officers spent a fair amount of time trying to explain to him where he could stand off the property. And he wouldn’t accept that.
“Ultimately, he was arrested for trespassing,” McLean said. The man was released shortly after and no charges were recommended, he added.
At Cedardale, the drop-off area is a roundabout that looks like it’s a city street, but it’s actually on school property, McLean said. “Eventually he was educated … the officers were comfortable that he finally understood that after his arrest.”
In this case, officers handled the matter with education, but people can potentially face fines or be charged under the Trespass Act in more serious instances, McLean said.
