Fort Resolution (Sep 22/03) - The grand chief of the Dene Nation received a conditional charge after pleading guilty to disturbing the peace.

Noeline Villebrun appeared in Fort Resolution Justice of the Peace Court on Sept. 8.

Villebrun was placed on three months probation, during which she is not permitted to enter Deninu School unless invited.

The conditional discharge will not result in a criminal record. The 47-year-old Villebrun has no previous record at all.

The charge resulted from an incident on May 27 in which Villebrun used insulting language at Deninu School.

Crown attorney Shelley Tkatch told the court that Villebrun went to the school after her granddaughter had been sent home.

Tkatch said Villebrun went to a classroom to see a teacher and they talked in a hallway, noting an angry Villebrun could be heard by students. At a school office, she continued to loudly condemn the school and its staff.

Tkatch says Villebrun caused extreme upset to the teacher and other employees, and disrupted the classroom and school office.

The school has a zero tolerance policy for workplace harassment, the Crown attorney noted. "That is why this is before the courts right now, because of the community standards we are facing."

Court worker John Lemouel, who spoke for the defence, recommended an absolute discharge. Lemouel noted there was no violence involved in the incidence.

However, Justice of the Peace Eric Kieken said he did not believe an absolute discharge was warranted.

Kieken said school employees should be treated with respect.

"There are indications that was not the case on that particular day."

Aside from entering her plea, Villebrun said nothing during the court proceedings, and declined comment for the media afterwards.

She was elected the first female grand chief at the Dene Nation's annual assembly on July 4. When they became aware of the charge facing her, delegates spent five hours in-camera discussing the issue.

In an earlier sitting of Territorial Court, the case was referred to the community's elders' justice committee. However, it declined to hear the case and it went back to court.