ManitobaA Manitoba judge has dismissed an application from a Mountain View School Division trustee who sought to enforce the singing of God Save the King in schools.Resolution halting plan to enforce singing of God Save the King was unlawful, Paul Coffey arguedArturo Chang · CBC News · Posted: Oct 03, 2025 10:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 4A Manitoba judge has dismissed an application from a Mountain View School Division trustee who sought to enforce the singing of God Save the King in schools. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)A Manitoba judge has dismissed an application from a Mountain View School Division trustee who sought to enforce the singing of God Save the King in schools.Paul Coffey filed an application in June for the courts to declare fellow trustees violated the law when they voted in favour of halting a plan to require students in the Dauphin-based division to sing the royal anthem daily.The school division’s board’s chair had issued the directive in mid-January based on legislation stating it must be played either at the end of the school day or after opening exercises even though the rule has not been enforced in several years.In an affidavit, Coffey accused the six trustees who voted to stay the plan until a review and consultations on the matter had been completed of breaching their oath of office, which states they “will be faithful and bear true allegiance” to King Charles III and his heirs.Coffey said the resolution was unlawful and “part of a broader pattern of governance failures and jurisdictional overreach.” He said if the board disagrees with the law, they should seek lawful change instead.Paul Coffey filed an application in June for the courts to declare fellow trustees violated the law when they voted in favour of halting a plan to require students in the Dauphin-based division to sing the royal anthem daily. (Mountain View School Division)Justice Sandra Zinchuk said in a written ruling from Sept. 19 that while Coffey argued there was no internal mechanism to address the matter, that’s no legal basis for the court to intervene.”The applicant’s complaint more appropriately falls within the MVSD trustee code of conduct, as it is being alleged that the respondent trustees are deliberately not enforcing provincial law,” Zinchuk said.The judge said a section of the Public Schools Act the trustee used to justify the court action was only meant to address conflict-of-interest cases.Last year, the province ordered a review of the MVSD board after Coffey said during a board meeting residential schools started as a good thing.The board went on to make a series of controversial decisions. But trustees elected last fall have pushed back, also opposing the God Save the King directive.The NDP government introduced a bill ending the requirement in March, but it was held back by the Progressive Conservatives.
Judge dismisses court action from trustee who sought revival of royal anthem in Dauphin-area classrooms
