Fighting Words Part 2 by Team TIG

In last week’s The Islands Grapevine (TIG), we published a denouncement of the false claims made by Bronwyn Schuster, publicly slandering TIG as having published transphobic hate-speech, following their email to TIG that was an attempt at influence peddling using public funds. While other Denman public servants have publicly endorsed Schuster’s admitted misuse of their position, the seeds of the malice directed at TIG had already been planted. From Bronwyn Schuster’s threatening email:(July 19/23)

“I understand you have been holding an editorial policy of no curation”. 

“I have found it difficult to weed through article after letter of COVID misinformation.”

Ironically, both of these claims are misinformation. TIG publishes its editorial policy in each issue, and we spend time each week asking contributors for revisions. Ninety percent of all the public health information TIG published was from government sources, at the local, regional, and Provincial levels. Prior to the pandemic, TIG had not received any critique of its editorial policies.

The small fraction of dissenting content TIG published, has in some cases turned out to be correct, and in some cases the Public Health advisories turned out to be incorrect. TIG was one of the very few media spaces that did not censor ALL dissenting viewpoints. What is clear from Schuster’s claims, and the claims of other local public servants, is that they have now declared that dissent is impermissible, and will not be tolerated. This is the elephant in the room, and it is a dangerous and authoritarian ideology.

After TIG committed the “original sin” of publishing a few letters that held a dissenting view on the response to the pandemic, some of the privileged liberal class of our community have aligned themselves with censorship of dissent, and granted themselves the entitlement of attempting to cancel a local business and the extremely modest livelihoods it supports. They are publicly spreading slander and lies, including the false accusation of “promoting” bigotry, in order to justify their anti-democratic and censorious ideology. While these bullies never provide any evidence, they rely on the silence of those too afraid to speak up. From Aaron Muirhead, on Denman social media, in a moment of self serving opportunism:

“I for one am thankfull and think its about time that a ‘public official’ actually took responsibility and refused to use ‘public’ money to support a private for profit buisiness that as a matter of policy, regularly publishes clear falsehoods and promotes bigotry in the community… this seems to me a case of a responsible use of ‘public’ funds [sic]”. 

Muirhead made the above comments as part of his announcement of his rival publication. He could not cite any specific “falsehoods” or “bigotry”, but takes pleasure in the act of joining the mob slandering TIG. Some Board members of Denman non-profit organizations have joined the chorus of hateful comments directed at TIG and in support of directing publicly funded advertising dollars away from TIG to Aaron’s new publication. From Laura Busheikin’s Denman social media post:

“From what I’ve heard, [Schuster] let a business owner know that she (as an individual and as a contract employee responsible for advertising choices) would no longer be purchasing their product unless the business practices changed. This could be seen as a threat, but not in a criminal way. It could also be seen as a decent thing to do, as it gives the business owner a chance to consider making changes in response to customer feedback.[sic]” 

Let’s start with Busheikin’s words, “From what I’ve heard”, as it speaks to her reliance on hearsay, and an assumption that the accusations were true. In this case, the “customers” are each and every local resident, not the publicly funded employee. More from Busheikin:

“If I have responsibility for an advertising budget for a publicly funded activity, unless my contract or a terms of reference states otherwise, I would be within my rights to make decisions about that budget. And yes of course I have done this, and will continue to do this in my various community roles. That has included seeking out alternatives to the Grapevine when possible.” And further: “to talk to the staff person directly, and CERTAINLY NOT to repeatedly make inflammatory public statements about the contract employee on social media. (And omg why I am even weighing in on this????[sic]”.

This is an astounding admission of unethical behaviour, and an incredulous take on the issues at hand. Had Busheikin not relied on hearsay, she would have known that we DID reach out to Schuster privately, offered to publish their concerns, and received NO response from Schuster at all. TIG did NOT take these issues to social media, Schuster did, where THEY made “inflammatory public statements” about TIG. And why indeed is Busheikin weighing in on this on social media, after saying that social media wasn’t an appropriate forum for addressing these issues?

TIG has reached out to Busheikin privately on two occasions, and in a cruel irony, she has refused to discuss these matters or comment at all. Busheikin’s lofty declarations on Denman social media do not align with her own actions. She has joined a slanderous social media mob in attempting to cancel a local business, based on hearsay and provable lies, and admitting she has done the same thing with public advertising dollars relating to TIG, in her “various community roles.” TIG wants to know which publicly funded roles?  As a Local Trustee, this behaviour is a violation of the Islands Trust Standards of Conduct.

All of these bullies, dressed up in performative virtue suits, have lost any moral or ethical authority in managing a public service on Denman Island.

Fighting Words by Team TIG (Originally published Oct.12th, 2023)

The Islands Grapevine (TIG) would never publish hate-speech directed at a marginalized group, but an online and word of mouth gossip campaign has mounted into a mob mentality of hateful smears of TIG. While wrapping themselves in virtuous flags of inclusion and diversity, community values and respect for neighbours coexisting, these bullies have joined together to try to destroy a 32 year old community newspaper with false accusations based on hearsay, while TIG employs people who survive month to month on its modest income.

When TIG received an email from Denman Island Bus Service (DIBS) employee Bronwyn Schuster that threatened a withdrawal of publicly funded advertising expenditures in TIG unless its publisher agreed to changes to its editorial policy, TIG replied immediately and privately to inquire whether Schuster wished to share their concerns by publishing them in TIG. We also clarified to Schuster that their accusation that TIG published bigoted hate-speech in relation to transgender people was categorically false. While weeks went by, we did not receive a response from Schuster. It was then that TIG published Part 1 of our Team TIG editorial, Threats, Lies, and the Misuse of Public Funds in its Aug.10 issue.

Schuster’s response was to post on Denman social media, admitting to the misuse of their position, but doubled down on accusations of transphobic content published in TIG without providing any specific example, other than to say the transphobic content was contained in TIG contributor Phoenix’s article. In that article Phoenix expressed concern for the safety of both cisgender and transgender inmates from convicted cis-male rapists who wished to transfer to women’s prisons under a newly enacted law. Phoenix’s source was the Government of Canada’s Correctional Services website. Whatever one’s view about Phoenix’s expressed concern, it was the opposite of transphobic, as she had led off the article with a lengthy preamble of her positive feelings toward the LGBTQQ2SiA+ communities. 

Anyone can read Phoenix’s article by reviewing it on theislandsgrapevine.com in the archived July 6 issue.

DenmanWorks (DW) Chair Anthony Gregson’s response to this was to admit that Schuster had misused their position, but immediately fired TIG publisher Mike Van Santvoord from his job managing the visitdenmanisland.ca website without explanation, or giving him an opportunity to speak with the DW Board prior to a vote to remove him as a Director as is required under DW’s bylaws and the B.C. Societies Act. Gregson has been acting as DW Chair past his 4 year term limit, and has not advertised for new board members, or published the minutes of any DW meetings, both required under the B.C. Societies Act. 

DIBS Coordinator Sam Borthwick claimed to want these matters handled in a more “collegial” manner, but neither he nor Schuster made any attempt to contact TIG in support of a resolution. It was TIG who reached out to Borthwick privately and made an agreement that an apology from Schuster would appear in the following issue of TIG, and that same apology would be posted by Schuster on Denman social media. When the “apology” did not appear on Denman social media, Borthwick claimed that he could not keep his commitment to the social media post, where his spouse Schuster had made the false accusation.

TIG contacted the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), the local government responsible for funding DW and DIBS. CVRD Community Services manager Doug Demarzo offered to support the hiring of a mediator to help resolve these matters. TIG gratefully accepted his offer. Community mediator Karen McKinnon contacted TIG and told us she would be contacting the other parties to see if they were willing to enter into a mediated process. Weeks have gone by, and we have not received an agreement to mediation by Gregson, Borthwick, or Schuster. TIG has now filed complaints in B.C. Provincial Court, under the B.C. Societies Act, and with the B.C Ombudsperson. TIG has also retained legal counsel to file a defamation lawsuit relating to damages to TIG’s reputation, and for the financial damages that have resulted.

Highly respected and 11 year Islands Trustee Laura Busheikin weighed in on social media to endorse Schuster’s misuse of their position and public funds. Members of the DIRCS executive and Concerts Denman joined in the smear campaign, demanding an alternative to advertising in TIG. Smelling blood in the water, erstwhile “anarchist” Aaron Muirhead took the opportunity to announce a rival publication, based on his disdain for TIG, and proudly endorsed Schuster’s admitted malfeasances. When publicly pressed on his issues with TIG, Muirhead was unable to muster any specific complaint. These are all endorsements of a publicly funded employee influence peddling using public monies.

Apparently, all these virtuous members of our community have misplaced their ethical compasses and any sense of mutuality or integrity. No one is required to advertise in TIG, but they ARE required NOT to attempt to extort policy changes in a community newspaper using public funds as a weapon, especially based on a false accusation. We have reached a point in local culture, not unlike the broader world that surrounds us, that an unfounded accusation is enough of a reason to attempt to cancel a local business and the livelihoods it supports. 

TIG is committed to using every legal means necessary in pushing back on these lies and unwarranted attacks, as we demand legal, social, and community justice, and while we continue to serve Denman and Hornby Islands and surrounding areas, 50 weeks a year.