Erik Millett quit as principal of Belleisle Elementary School after receiving thousands of threats over the O Canada controversy. (CBC)A New Brunswick man was found guilty on Thursday of threatening the principal of Belleisle Elementary School, where the daily singing of O Canada had been stopped.
New Brunswick provincial court Judge Henrik Tonning found Bradley Howland, 43, of Hatfield Point guilty of uttering threats against Erik Millett, who quit as principal after receiving thousands of threats.
Tonning said in his judgment he found Howland devoid of credibility in the case.
Millett claimed that Howland, a parent of a child at the school, had threatened to beat him senseless outside his office last winter at the height of the anthem controversy.
Howland said he meant it as a figure of speech, not as a threat.
Tonning said in court that there was no question in his mind that Howland intended to threaten the principal.
He said he felt Howland wanted to instil fear in Millett and said the threat was made with the real intention of causing serious bodily harm to the principal.
Howland is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 28 and could face as much as six months in jail.
Outside the Sussex court, he was nearly speechless over the decision.
"This is a kick in the teeth," Howland said. "That's all I've got to say."
Millett said he felt vindicated by the decision and he is now considering a libel suit against a number of other people.
"I think it's a clear and utter vindication of myself and my attempt to uphold and respect the rights of minorities in this country," he said.
Anthem limited after complaints
Millett had garnered media attention following a decision to scale back the daily singing of the national anthem because two families objected to their children participating for religious reasons.
The alleged threat happened after it became public knowledge that Millett had scaled back the daily singing of the national anthem to monthly assemblies and special occasions to accommodate parents who didn't want their children to sing along for religious reasons.
Belleisle Elementary School is in Springfield, a rural community of about 1,500 people in southern New Brunswick.
Outside court, Howland claimed victory — no matter the outcome of the case.
"I guess we’ve won the war. We have the national anthem played in all the schools in New Brunswick, which is a war won. We also have a new principal coming that has wisdom and morals.… In my mind, that’s the war won, and this is just a little battle," he said.
After a national outcry, the New Brunswick government made singing the anthem mandatory in all schools in the province.
In February, Millett told CBC News he had been flooded with hostile messages, including taunts and death threats.
