Vancouver School Board chair Christopher Richardson resigns suddenly for personal reasons
Richardson cites 'deeply personal' reasons for stepping down
The head of the Vancouver School Board resigned in a surprise move Monday night, citing "deeply personal" reasons.
Christopher Richardson told CBC News his decision was not health-related, but refused to elaborate further, saying only that stepping aside for now was in the best interest of the board.
Vice-chair Janet Fraser will step in as interim chair for the Richardson until a board vote June 24.
Richardson's voice shook with emotion Monday night as he read his resignation, a week after criticism erupted over a report calling for 19 school closures to save millions.
The Ernst Young report, commissioned by the Ministry of Education, recommended shutting the under-capacity schools to save $37 million a year.
Richardson told CBC he plans to take on new projects for now, but does not rule out returning to the VSB in the future.
With files from Charlie Cho
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