TVDSB trustee involved in controversial websites resigns
Jake Skinner, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) trustee representing five wards, has announced his resignation in the middle of his term.
Skinner was first elected in 2014 to represent wards 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13.
In a letter to the board Skinner said, “After careful thought, I have decided to resign my seat…It has been a pleasure to serve the TVDSB community and I wish our administrative team, as well as the Board of Trustees, every success in building each student’s tomorrow, every day."
A special meeting of the board will be held Wednesday night to determine a process for selecting Skinner’s replacement.
Both the board chair and director of education thanked Skinner for his service and advocacy.
“We sincerely thank Jake for his years of service and commitment to public education,” said Chair Lori-Ann Pizzolato. “I know that all Trustees will miss his keen insights and his dedication to student achievement and well-being.”
Skinner was no stranger to controversy though.
He was working at lobbying firm Blackridge Strategy during a municipal election scandal in 2018 over a pair of attack websites.
He later apologized for his role in the websites that targeted council candidates and left the firm.
A Code of Conduct investigation by the board found "insufficient evidence" he breached the code.
- With files from CTV News London's Matt Thompson and Daryl Newcombe
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confirms his party will support the Liberals' federal budget
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will support the federal budget, ending any speculation that the party could pull out of its deal with the minority Liberal government.
Dental care program accepting claims for 1 million seniors
Citizens' Services Minister Terry Beech says 1,200 seniors have already visited a dentist and had their claims processed by the federal government's new dental care plan.