BWDSB Trustee Derrick Long Censured, Sanctioned Again Following Second Code of Conduct Breach
Bluewater District School Board Trustee Derrick Long formally censured and suspended from committee duties following a second Code of Conduct breach related to cybersecurity violations.
Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB) Trustee Derrick Long has been formally censured and barred from attending board committees for 90 days following a second investigation that found he breached the board’s Code of Conduct, this time by attempting to access his board email from outside the country using a virtual private network (VPN), in violation of the board's cybersecurity policy.
At its regular meeting on April 15, 2025, the Board of Trustees adopted the findings of Integrity Commissioner Michael L. Maynard, who concluded in a detailed 37-page report that Long violated sections 2.2, 2.4, and 3.3(iii) of the Code. Long was not present.
The board imposed the following sanctions:
A formal censure of Trustee Long;
A ban on attending the June 17, 2025 board meeting;
A 90-day suspension from all board committees, to be served across June, September, and October 2025, excluding the months of July and August when no committee meetings are scheduled;
Immediate removal from the Audit Committee, with a new trustee to be appointed to the role for the remainder of the 2024–2025 appointment.
Integrity Commissioner’s Findings
Maynard’s investigation concluded that Long attempted multiple times between November 11 and 18, 2024, to access his board email from Florida, where access is prohibited under BWDSB’s cybersecurity policy.
Server records showed that access attempts were made using the device registered to Long’s board account, and that a VPN was used to mask the location. Evidence also revealed that VPN software had previously been installed and later removed from Long’s board-issued laptop.
“The evidence demonstrates that Trustee Long made numerous failed attempts to access his email, then used a VPN to get around the geolocation blocking on the Board’s server,” Maynard wrote.
Long denied wrongdoing and disputed the legitimacy of the investigation. In his communications with the Integrity Commissioner, he repeatedly referred to the process as lacking integrity and offered conflicting explanations, including claims that his Facebook posts were old and that his phone had been lost.
Maynard found Long’s account “not credible,” noting he had deleted social media posts central to the investigation and had made contradictory statements regarding his whereabouts. The Commissioner added:
“He also outright lied to me at least once during the investigation, though he admitted to it after he was caught in the deception.”
A Pattern of Misconduct
The sanctions imposed on Trustee Derrick Long this month mark the second time in less than a year that the Bluewater District School Board has formally found him in breach of its Code of Conduct.
The first occurred in November 2024, following a separate investigation by Integrity Commissioner Michael L. Maynard, who detailed a series of incidents stretching from late 2023 to mid-2024.
That earlier report found Long in violation of seven sections of the Code, describing behaviour that was, at times, disruptive, inappropriate, and “bizarre.”
Among the most widely reported moments was Long’s decision to adjust his webcam during an April 2024 board meeting to prominently display a t-shirt reading “Straight Pride.” The meeting, held virtually, drew concern from fellow trustees and prompted one of five formal complaints submitted to the Integrity Commissioner by board members, including the Chair, Vice-Chair, and a Student Trustee.
Maynard’s findings from that first investigation outlined a troubling pattern: discriminatory remarks, disparaging comments on social media, breaches of confidentiality, and incidents that undermined the integrity of the board’s public proceedings.
Long was also found to have appeared shirtless during a virtual meeting—one of several actions that led Maynard to describe his conduct as “simply bizarre and inexplicable.”
Although Long acknowledged some errors in judgment and expressed an intent to improve, Maynard recommended a formal censure and a 90-day removal from all board committees at that time. It was against the backdrop of this earlier investigation—and amid those ongoing consequences—that the more recent email-access breach occurred.
Trustee Long's Response and Public Commentary
In recent months, Trustee Derrick Long has sent multiple unsolicited emails to The Owen Sound Current—often addressed to third parties with the publication blind carbon copied (BCC'd).
In one such email, dated February 12, 2025, with the subject line "BWDSB trustee Derrick Long, letter integrity(?) commissioner Michael Maynard," Long addresses Integrity Commissioner Michael Maynard directly, opening with: “Good day Michael. I will respond to this process, though it, lacks integrity.”
The email, which spans more than 3,100 words, includes personal grievances, spiritual reflections, and lengthy critiques of both the investigation process and various individuals involved.
Long repeatedly accuses Maynard of conducting a biased inquiry, referring to the proceedings as a “witch hunt” and “a sham.” He questions the allocation of public funds to the investigation and accuses Board leadership of attempting to entrap him through social media.
While The Owen Sound Current was included as a BCC recipient, it is unclear whether Maynard himself ever received or acknowledged the email. Its intended distribution remains ambiguous.
Board Response and Broader Context
In both investigations, the Integrity Commissioner stressed the importance of trustees upholding decorum, professionalism, and trust in governance.
“The purpose of enforcing a Code of Conduct is not to be punitive but rather to guide a wayward trustee towards improvement and course correction,” Maynard noted in his April 2025 report.
Maynard added that he believes “nothing less than an imposed period away from Board responsibilities will afford him (Long) a suitable opportunity to at least attempt” the introspection needed for improvement and course correction.
He recommended the sanctions as a progressive step following the earlier breach, adding that the actions taken by the board were necessary to uphold public trust and protect the board’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
In its public meeting, the board further emphasized that Trustee Long’s actions had caused "undue stress and loss of morale" among fellow trustees and staff, impacting the board’s ability to function effectively.
Under the Education Act, boards have limited options for sanctions but hold final authority in Code of Conduct matters.